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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27488962">James Smith and the Vault of Fear</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrazedChemist/pseuds/CrazedChemist'>CrazedChemist</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The (mis)adventures of one James Smith [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Cursed Vaults (Hogwarts Mystery), F/M, Novelization, Spoilers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:14:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>48,060</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27488962</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrazedChemist/pseuds/CrazedChemist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>James Smith starts his third year at Hogwarts, and already there is trouble afoot.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Merula Snyde/Original Male Character(s), Player Character/Merula Snyde</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The (mis)adventures of one James Smith [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2007511</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A rough start</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jamie arrived at the Great Hall just in time to talk to his friends before the Start of Term Feast began. Penny was the first to greet him. ‘It’s great to see you, Jamie! How were your summer holidays?’<br/>
‘Difficult, honestly. The <em>Daily Prophet</em> reported what happened with the Cursed Vaults last year, so my mum knows everything. She hopes I’ll find out what happened to my brother, but she’s afraid I’ll end up missing too.’<br/>
‘We won’t let that happen, Jamie,’ Rowan assured him.<br/>
‘Thanks. I’m just glad to be back at Hogwarts with all of you, so we can try to find the next vault.’<br/>
‘Have you thought about the book and broken wand you found?’ Penny asked.<br/>
‘Are you joking? I haven’t let go of them since I left. I just wish I could figure out what they’re for…’<br/>
Rowan stroked his chin. ‘I did a lot of research the past couple of months, and have some theories. We can discuss them after Dumbledore’s speech.’<br/>
‘Is Dumbledore going to punish us for investigating the vaults?’ asked Ben in a concerned tone.<br/>
‘I don’t think so. He asked me to get away from them, but he wasn’t upset.’<br/>
Ben looked somewhat relieved. ‘Oh, that’s a relief. We’d better take our seats, Sorting's about to start...’ said Ben, glancing at the entrance gates through which McGonagall would walk through any second with new students. Returning to their respective House tables, the students went silent, waiting for the Sorting Ceremony to begin.</p><p>‘Welcome back to Hogwarts!’ said Dumbledore with open arms once everyone had been Sorted and seated. ‘I’m pleased to have all of you new and returning students here for another year of magical learning and self-discovery.’ His tone changed to a much more serious one. ‘Of course, I would be remiss if I did not address the Erumpent in the room. As many of you know, last year, Hogwarts was afflicted with cursed ice caused by one of the long-rumoured Cursed Vaults. The curse was released by someone attempting to enter a vault, so I am ordering everyone in this room to stay away from the rest! It’s said that tampering with each vault unleashes a unique curse, and I will not have my students and faculty endangered again. It is true that the students who opened the Cursed Vault broke the curse, and saved the school. It is also true they put all of us at risk by doing so. Students are absolutely forbidden from seeking the remaining vaults. The penalty for anyone caught doing so will be severe. Especially so for repeat offenders. It is the staff’s responsibility to take care of this situation, and ensure that Hogwarts is safe for everyone. So, once more…’ His voice suddenly became a deafening roar. ‘<strong>Do not attempt to locate and enter the Cursed Vaults! </strong>’ The students all covered their ears in pain. Returning to his usual volume, he continued. ‘My apologies. I hope that temporary damaging your eardrums has saved you from more permanent harm.’ With a smile, he closed his speech off. ‘Now, please enjoy your feast! I’ve had the opportunity to sample this year’s pumpkin tart, and it’s particularly tasty.</p><p>‘So much for Dumbledore not being upset…’ thought Jamie.<br/>
Rowan, sitting next to him, asked ‘What should we do?’<br/>
Jamie smirked. ‘Find the next Cursed Vault, so I can find my brother.’<br/>
‘I realise it’s reckless and irrational, but I was hoping you’d say that!’ Rowan admitted with a smile.</p><p>The next day, in the Herbology Greenhouses, before class begun, Professor Sprout greeted Jamie when he arrived. ‘James Smith! It’s very nice to see you in Herbology Class instead of searching for Cursed Vaults.’<br/>
‘Herbology is one of my favourite classes, Professor Sprout. How was your summer?’ Jamie replied politely.<br/>
‘Oh, how thoughtful of you to ask! Your brother was always the same way. My summer was splendid! I conducted several experiments on the composition of Dragon Dung Fertiliser.’<br/>
Curious, Jamie asked ‘Composition?’<br/>
‘Yes! The quantity and quality of Dragon dung in the fertiliser has a tremendous impact on a plant’s growth.<br/>
Jamie’s inner Ravenclaw began to show when he commented ‘How fascinating! I would love to examine the results of your test.’<br/>
‘Of course! Students rarely show the proper enthusiasm for Dragon dung. Ten points to Slytherin! Find your place now, it’s time for today’s lesson.’ Jamie did as he was told, and Professor Sprout addressed the class. ‘Today we will be learning to grow Valerian. The roots of this magical plant can be used in many potions. Let’s begin!’</p><p>‘Now I will demonstrate watering the plant. Miss Haywood, fetch a pail for me, would you please?’<br/>
Penny looked eager to help, replying ‘Yes, Professor Sprout.’<br/>
While she retrieved the pail, a pink haired Hufflepuff whispered to Jamie ‘Which of these do you think would work best for bothering a certain irritable, bird-like librarian?’<br/>
‘Tonks, I don’t think that’s such a-’ Before Jamie could finish, a scream broke through the class. A terrified Penny was staring at a werewolf standing on its hind legs on top of some pots.<br/>
‘A werewolf just burst out of that pot!’ cried Rowan.<br/>
‘How did a werewolf get here?!’ wondered Jamie, frozen in place.<br/>
‘It didn’t.’ Professor Sprout remained calm, approaching the young Hufflepuff and taking out her wand. ‘Stand back, Miss Haywood. <em>Riddikulus!</em>’</p><p>The werewolf changed, transforming into a teddy bear with a suit. Jamie stared at it, shocked. ‘If that wasn’t a werewolf, what was it?’<br/>
Sprout frowned. ‘A Boggart. Nasty shapeshifting creature. It takes the form of the victim’s worst fear. They are defeated by laughter, so you cast <em>Riddikulus</em> to change it into something humorous. To my knowledge, a Boggart has never been seen in the greenhouses…’ The teddy bear disappeared. ‘I must report this to Professor Dumbledore immediately. Class dismissed.’</p><p>During lunch, Jamie saw Penny talking to Bill, and approached them to check up on her. ‘Penny! Are you okay? You looked so shaken after that Boggart appeared in Herbology Class. I was worried about you.’<br/>
Penny gave an unconvincing smile. ‘Worried about me? I’m perfectly fine.’<br/>
‘I somehow have trouble believing that…’<br/>
Bill gave him a light punch on the arm. ‘Well, if it isn’t the Clobberer of Curses,  the Pulverizer of Polar Platemail, James Smith! It’s good to see you!’ Puffing out his chest, which now sported a red badge, he asked ‘Notice anything different about me?’<br/>
Penny rolled her eyes. ‘Brace yourself, Jamie. He’s been going on about it for the past hour.’<br/>
Bill ignored her. ‘I’m the new Gryffindor Prefect! They even gave me a shiny badge!’<br/>
‘Congratulations, Bill! That’s a huge accomplishment.’<br/>
‘Thanks, Jamie. Maybe you’ll be a Prefect one day, too!’<br/>
‘Me as a Prefect? I’d be docking myself House Points all day.’<br/>
Penny put on a mischievous grin. ‘You could use your authority to skirt around the rules…’<br/>
‘Brilliant idea, Penny!’<br/>
Bill started to get a little uncomfortable. ‘I didn’t hear that! Do I have to cast <em>Quietus</em> on you two?’<br/>
‘Can you help us, Bill? In Herbology Class, a Boggart attacked Penny,’ Jamie quickly changed the subject. ‘It took the form of a werewolf, which I’m guessing is her worst fear. Right Penny?’<br/>
‘I don’t know why it looked like that…’ Penny said, but again without much conviction.<br/>
‘Professor Sprout got rid of the Boggart, but she said he’s never seen one in the greenhouses. I wonder if it has anything to do with the Cursed Vaults…’<br/>
Bill stroked his chin in thought. ‘Hagrid is always caring for terrifying creatures. You should ask him what he knows about Boggarts… Let me know what—HEY! You first-years! Stop doing that to the custard tarts!’ Bill moved to a couple of students to scold them, leaving his two friends in laughter.</p><p>Getting to Potions Class that evening and sitting down, Jamie raised his head when he heard an all-too familiar voice speaking to him. ‘Welcome back to Hogwarts, Smith. How did it feel to be publicly humiliated by Dumbledore at the feast?’<br/>
Turning around, he saw Merula Snyde and other two Slytherins behind her, a well-built boy and a creepy looking girl. ‘Can we not start our third year in another argument?’<br/>
‘Of course. And don’t worry about Dumbledore and the Cursed Vaults. I’ll open them all before you ever have a chance to find them. With the help of my new associates Barnaby and Ismelda here, all of the fortune and glory in the vaults will be mine.’<br/>
‘All right, you insufferable lot. Take your seats, heat up your cauldrons, and try not to ruin another lesson,’ Snape ordered them. He seemed extremely angry, angrier than usual, though he did not express this anger on anyone in particular during the lesson.</p><p>When the class ended and he was packing his things in his bag, he heard Merula’s gang talking about the vaults. ‘What do you think is inside the next Cursed Vault?’ was asking Barnaby to the other two.<br/>
‘I hope it’s something that can bring back the Dark Lord,’ said Ismelda in a hopeful voice.<br/>
‘Maybe it’s something that can bring back Smith’s brother…’ Merula commented in a mocking tone, making sure that Jamie heard her. ‘On second thought, no one cares about that loser…’<br/>
‘I’d shut your mouth unless you want to duel again, Merula. We all know how well that’s worked for you in the past…’ Jamie matched her tone.<br/>
The witch got furious at the memory. ‘You got lucky, Smith. Next time we duel, you’ll be begging for mercy.’<br/>
‘Didn’t you beg a bit when James Smith beat you? I remember you crying, but I could’ve sworn you begged a bit too…’ Barnaby asked, genuinely confused.<br/>
Merula stared daggers at him. ‘Shut up, Barnaby. Let’s go. This loser isn’t worth our time.’</p><p>Ismelda and Merula left the classroom, but Barnaby stayed one more moment. ‘If you mess with Merula, I’ll vanish all the bones in your body,’ he threatened.<br/>
‘Why are you friends with her? She’s terrible to everyone.’<br/>
‘If what’s inside the vaults will make me stronger, then I want it. Merula is the most cunning witch at Hogwarts. The only way I’ll ever get into the vaults is to do exactly what she says.’<br/>
‘Let me guess, she told you that.’<br/>
‘Yeah.’<br/>
‘<em>This Barnaby isn’t the brightest</em>,’ thought Jamie. ‘Did you ever think that she might be lying to manipulate you?’<br/>
Barnaby thought about it for a few seconds, with an oddly intense look of concentration on his face. ‘Don’t you try to make me think, Smith!’ he snapped, and stormed off after his two accomplices.</p><p>‘What a strange boy…’ muttered Jamie.<br/>
Rowan turned to him. ‘Barnaby is one of the strongest wizards in our year, but he’s thicker than a troll…’<br/>
Jamie scoffed. ‘Even a troll would know to never trust Merula. Come on, we’d better get going to our next class.’</p><p>Their first day of classes came to an end, and Jamie and Rowan returned to their common room like the rest of their house. In the Slytherin Common Room, a very irate Snape stood in the centre, waiting to have everyone around him for some announcement. ‘<em>Perhaps now we’ll know why he was so angry earlier…</em>’ Jamie thought.<br/>
Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and at the corner of his field of vision he saw Felix whisper into his ear ‘Whatever happens, just keep your mouth shut.’<br/>
Jamie frowned. He looked around the other students, and they all seemed as gloomy as the Prefect, with one key exception. Merula glanced from time to time at Jamie, almost as if she expected Snape to finally expel him, if not something worse. He ignored Merula’s look, instead focusing on his Head of House, who was sweeping the room with his gaze. ‘I will not tolerate bullying by any student in this house,’ Snape stated coldly. Puzzled frowns adorned everyone’s features, a mix of not knowing exactly what he was talking about, and not understanding how Snape of all people would recriminate their bullying. ‘Last year, one of you knocked those Gryffindors into the fountain…’ Snape continued. ‘A confession will save your fellow Slytherins from serious punishment.’<br/>
Suddenly, almost everyone understood. They had been caught, not by Snape, but by someone else. And everyone knew who had done it, but silence ruled the room for a moment while no one said anything. Jamie could see smirks forming in Merula and Ismelda’s faces, about to reveal him to Snape. But he was damned if he let them have the pleasure.<br/>
‘It was me, Professor’ Jamie said calmly, raising a hand. ‘This was all my idea.’ Everyone turned to look at him, some shocked, others confused as to why he would turn himself in. Felix kept a stoic face, impossible to read. Rowan squirmed behind Jamie, worried for his friend.<br/>
Snape looked at Jamie, narrowing his eyes. ‘I see you are still an embarrassment for Slytherin, Smith.’ Jamie bit his tongue, deeply offended at the comment. Snape went on ‘However, for your honesty, I will not take any House Points.’ Addressing the room at large, he said ‘Smith’s confession has saved you from losing House Points, but the list of possible punishments for bullying is long and severe. I will give you the opportunity to avoid further punishment this one time by locating a misplaced vail in the Potions Classroom. Do not fail me. And do not make me return to this room for a lecture ever again…’</p><p>Jamie, who had confessed to the crime, went to the cold classroom, accompanied by Rowan and Felix, the former because he didn’t want to leave his friend behind on this, and the latter to watch the other two. Snape barely looked at them when they entered the room, saying ‘Find the vial quickly, and do not disturb anything in my classroom.’<br/>
Rowan said ‘I probably shouldn’t be asking this, but you know your own classroom better than anyone, why don’t you just look for it yours-?’<br/>
Rowan didn’t finish his sentence, as Jamie had elbowed him, muttering ‘Shut up, Rowan…’<br/>
‘You took the words out of my mouth, Smith,’ Snape said in a detached tone.</p><p>It didn’t take them too long to find the missing vial, probably because this punishment was Snape’s way of letting them off the hook without an actual punishment, as he often did favour his own house over the rest to absurd levels. Jamie found the vial on the ground, in a corner of the classroom, under a thick layer of dust, and recognised it from Snape’s description. ‘I found it!’ he said, wiping the dust off with his robe and handing the item to his professor.<br/>
‘Congratulations,’ Snape said sarcastically. ‘You may live to see another day.’<br/>
‘What’s in the vial, Professor Snape?’ Rowan quickly asked, before Jamie gave him a warning look. ‘Right,’ Rowan muttered. ‘Shut up, Rowan.’</p><p>'Hey, Penny. Are you feeling better?' Jamie asked his blonde friend during dinner.<br/>
'I'll admit that I was a little shaken after seeing that werewolf Boggart in Herbology, but I'm better now. I know it wasn't real,’ Penny said with a smile that Jamie didn't buy.<br/>
'Do you want to talk about it?'<br/>
'I'd rather talk about you!’ she said excitedly, changing the subject. ‘All of Hogwarts is talking about you after what happened with the Cursed Vaults. Do you like having so much attention?' Penny asked with a huge smile.<br/>
'Honestly, I'm getting tired of it. Never liked it in the first place, and I've not changed my mind,' said Jamie.<br/>
'Come on... You deserve it, Jamie. I can't imagine what Hogwarts would be without you. There's so much to catch up on. Can we talk over a meal?'<br/>
His friend's enthusiasm was almost contagious, and Jamie replied with a smile 'Of course. What would you like to talk about?'<br/>
'With all we've been through at Hogwarts, we should get to know each other better. Don't you think so?'</p><p>While they had dinner, they talked about their respective lives back home. 'So, you're a half-blood witch from London, and you have a little sister-' Jamie started summarizing.<br/>
'Beatrice is her name!'<br/>
'Beatrice, right. It seems I'm learning more about you than you are about me,' Jamie said with a smirk.<br/>
Penny suddenly got a serious look on her face. 'Do you trust me, Jamie?'<br/>
'Of course...' said Jamie, confused.<br/>
'I need you to do me a favour, but I can't say exactly what just yet. Wait for my owl...'</p><p>The owl arrived two days later. Penny's message said to meet her after curfew in the Potions Classroom. Walking quickly through the cold corridors, Jamie saw her leaned against a wall near the classroom. 'Penny! What are we doing down here so late?' he whispered when he reached her.<br/>
'Shh! That Prefect will hear you,' she put a finger to her lips, pointing with the other hand to a Ravenclaw seventh year who was with his back turned to them. 'You learned <em>Petrificus Totalus</em>, right? Now it's time to put that spell to good use.'<br/>
'On a Prefect?' Jamie questioned. Not that he was opposed to the idea per say, but Penny's demeanour wasn't normal.<br/>
'Cast it! Before he sees us!'<br/>
Sighing, he took out his wand, and pointed it at the Prefect. '<em>Petrificus Totalus!</em>' The Prefect fell to the ground, stiff as a board.<br/>
Penny clapped her hands. 'Brilliant! Now let's hurry into the Potions Classroom, so we can start the next part of my plan.' She entered the classroom, stepping carefully over the frozen Prefect.<br/>
'Plan? What plan?! You never said anything about a plan!'</p><p>Running inside as well, Jamie kept asking questions. 'Penny! What in the world is going on?'<br/>
'I need you to help steal some lethe river water from Potions,' Penny replied casually.<br/>
'We're stealing from Snape now?! I literally can't imagine a worse person to steal from.'<br/>
'Please, Jamie. I wouldn't take it if it wasn't important.'<br/>
Looking into her blue eyes, Jamie gave in. '...Okay. I'll help you.'<br/>
'Let's check all of these containers...'</p><p>'Aha! Lethe river water. You found it!' Penny said, looking at the flask Jamie was holding.<br/>
'But what do you need it for?'<br/>
Penny shrugged. 'Brewing a potion, obviously.'<br/>
'What potion?' Jamie pressed.<br/>
'All I can tell you is I need you to bring me the valerian springs you grew in Herbology. Once I've made the final preparations, I'll send you an owl.'</p><p>A few days later, Jamie entered the Artefact Room. Penny smiled when she saw him. 'Good, you're here. I was about to ask Peeves to look for you.'<br/>
Looking at the ingredients she had layed out around a cauldron on the floor, Jamie started muttering 'Lethe river water, two valerian springs, two measures of Standard Ingredient, and four mistletoe berries...'<br/>
Penny looked at him, concerned. 'Do you know what potion we're making?'<br/>
'Forgetfulness Potion, I'd say,' Jamie guessed, trying his hardest to remember his Potions theory.<br/>
Penny nodded. 'Precisely. I need you to help me brew a perfect Forgetfulness Potion.'<br/>
'To erase part of someone's memory? Who are you going to use it on?' Jamie asked, worried about every possible answer.<br/>
'Don't worry, I won't use it on you. Not that you'd remember if I did. Let's get started. I'll walk you through it...' She tried to end the conversation to begin the brewing.<br/>
After a couple of hours of careful preparation, Penny took a phial of the liquid in the cauldron, and examined it up close. 'Good work, Jamie. This Forgetfulness Potion is perfect.'<br/>
'Will you finally tell me what you're doing with it?'<br/>
'I'm going to drink it.'<br/>
Jamie's eyes widened. 'Why?!'<br/>
Penny stared at the potion in the phial as she answered, eyes teary. 'Remember how my Boggart took the form of a werewolf? It wasn't just any werewolf... Every summer my family spends time in the country. I had a friend up there... a Muggle... Her name was Scarlett. Last year we went out for a walk one night and saw a werewolf. Scarlett was fascinated, and wanted to see where it was going. I had my wand... But when it noticed us, I froze. By the time I had the courage to do something, it was too late for Scarlett...' She burst into tears, unable to contain them any longer. 'She's dead because of me...' Jamie hugged his friend, trying his best to comfort her. She sobbed, continuing. 'It hurts to remember it, Jamie. I want to forget.'<br/>
'Do you think that's a good idea, Penny?'<br/>
'I'm... not sure what to think anymore...'<br/>
Pushing him away and ending the hug, she looked at the phial with the potion. '...should I drink the Forgetfulness Potion...?' she muttered.<br/>
'No!' Jamie put a hand to the bottle. 'Penny, forgetting won't change what happened. What if you forget more than you intend to? What if you forgot yourself?'<br/>
'Should that happen...?'<br/>
'Are you willing to take the risk?' Jamie asked. Penny stared at his hand, stopping her hand from drinking, then at him in the eyes. Jamie stared back, with a kind smile. 'Penny, our memories make us who we are. They make us stronger. Scarlett would want you to remember her.'<br/>
Penny looked away. 'Jamie... you're right.' Jamie took the potion from her hand, hiding it in his robes. Penny tried to smile at him. 'Thank you. I won't forget what you did for me.'</p><p>At the beginning of October, a parchment on the announcement board of every common room stated that the first weekend trip to Hogsmeade for third years and up would be on Hallowe’en; making most of the third years and older students buzz with excitement as the date got nearer. Jamie, who had spent a good deal of his summer convincing his parents to sign his permission slip, was one of those students, along with Rowan, who had read just about everything about Hogsmeade there was to read. Meanwhile, there were more sightings of Boggarts around the castle’s cupboards and closets, making most students travel in groups around the castle to confuse any Boggart they might encounter.  With Bill’s words in mind, Jamie went down the grounds during one free period to Hagrid’s hut, intent on asking him about Boggarts. He knocked on the door to the wooden hut thrice, and heard barking from inside before the door was opened. ‘Get back, Fang…’ Hagrid said, pulling back an oversized boarhound puppy. ‘Jamie! Good to see you!’<br/>
‘How was your summer, Hagrid?’<br/>
‘It was fine, thanks fer askin’,’ said Hagrid, beckoning him to come in. ‘Raised a litter of Flobberworms in the hut, but now they’re full-grown…’ he said happily, pointing through a window at a strange makeshift wooden paddock just next to his pumpkin patch, inside of which a group of huge, brown slugs were squirming about. His face turned downcast, as he went on ‘…An’ I don’ know what to do with ‘em!’<br/>
‘Why don’t you set them free?’ suggested Jamie. He would have normally suggested using them for potions, but he knew Hagrid too well to be so insensitive.<br/>
‘It’ll break me heart a bit, but I suppose that’s the best way…’ admitted Hagrid. ‘But enough abou’ me Flobberworm problems. Wha’ about yeh? Want some tea?’<br/>
‘Tea would be nice, thanks,’ said Jamie, and as Hagrid served them both tea on huge cups and they sat around the central table of the hut, Jamie told him about the Boggarts sightings around the school. ‘Bill Weasley thought you might know a bit about Boggarts.’<br/>
‘Boggarts?’ Hagrid shook his head. ‘I haven’ seen one o’ them for years… Not since…’<br/>
He seemed to remember he wasn’t supposed to tell, because he made a strange grunt right before sipping a lot of tea and looking anywhere in the cabin but Jamie. ‘Since when?’ pressed Jamie.<br/>
Hagrid sighed, and said ‘Since yer brother was a student, an’ came askin’ about Boggarts an’ all.’<br/>
‘Why was my brother asking about Boggarts?’ Jamie asked quickly. ‘What did he say? What did you  tell him?’<br/>
‘He thought the Boggarts had somethin’ teh do with the Cursed Vaults… He thought one of the vaults played on the fears of anyone who tried teh open it,’ Hagrid explained patiently. ‘If Boggarts are suddenly appearin’ here, it might mean someone’s bin messin’ with that vault.’<br/>
‘My brother must have done a lot of research on the vaults. Do you know where he kept his notes?’<br/>
‘Yer brother didn’ have a lot o’ friends at Hogwarts, but he spent a lotta time at the Three Broomsticks, in Hogsmeade. I ‘spect Madam Rosmerta might have an idea about those notes. If yeh ever make it teh Hogsmeade, I’d be happy teh introduce yeh.’<br/>
‘That would be brilliant, Hagrid!’ said Jamie, ecstatic. ‘The first trip is scheduled for Hallowe’en. I can’t wait!’</p><p>October passed by fairly quickly, even with the added weight of their new subjects and the increase in homework load of their old ones. Jamie had chosen to study Care of Magical Creatures, like Rowan, and Divination. Care of Magical Creatures was engaging, and Professor Kettleburn was so passionate about his job that his students usually shared his enthusiasm. Divination was fairly disappointing, as Professor Trelawney always spoke in a misty, drowsing voice and her classroom was usually dark and very warm, scented with many perfumes. When Hallowe’en arrived, the whole castle was buzzing with excitement. The halls and chambers of the castle (except the classrooms) were decorated with carved pumpkins, some the size of small cars, that Hagrid had grown in his garden. The weekend of the first trip to Hogsmeade, a long queue was made in the Entrance Hall, in front of the gates to the exterior, where Filch was checking the permission slips and letting people out little by little. Next to Filch was Snape, with a thin smile that gave almost every student shivers. Jamie and Rowan were waiting in line, chatting happily when Snape came over to them, and addressed Jamie.<br/>
‘Wipe that smug, confident expression off your face, Mr Smith. Just where do you think you’re going?’<br/>
‘To… Hogsmeade, Professor Snape,’ said Jamie tentatively, but with the confidence of someone who knows is innocent. ‘I have my permission slip right here.’<br/>
‘Permission slip?’ Snape’s lip curled upwards, and Jamie’s heart dropped, fearing the worst. ‘It is my pleasure to inform you that you are banned from Hogsmeade, even with your sad little permission slip.’<br/>
‘What?!’ Jamie snapped, mouth agape with horror. ‘That’s not fair! You can’t do that!’<br/>
‘With all of the school rules you have broken, you should feel fortunate that your lack of self-control hasn’t gotten you expelled,’ said Snape nastily. Jamie was about to reply “I saved Hogwarts”, but Snape raised a hand, stopping him. ‘You risked lives, and did nothing that Dumbledore couldn’t have accomplished during teatime.’<br/>
‘Please, Professor,’ Jamie begged. Lowering his voice so that only Snape and Rowan could hear him, he said ‘Madam Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks might know something about my brother and the vaults.’<br/>
‘You fool, listen to yourself,’ Snape said, and the thin smile vanished, a scowl replacing it. ‘You’re focused on these dangerous vaults instead of your schoolwork. If you want to earn Hogsmeade privileges, you will need to study diligently. Then, you may go to Hogsmeade.’<br/>
Jamie could feel outrage boiling in his insides. He had achieved top marks in almost everything, including Potions, on the previous terms; he didn’t see how he could do better. Biting his tongue, he forced himself to say, almost in a whisper, ‘…Yes, sir.’<br/>
Snape walked away, and Jamie could almost feel the looks of pity from his friends and some other students, and the leering faces Merula and her cronies were surely making at him. Rowan’s voice brought him back to reality. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll help you study. You’ll be going to Hogsmeade in no time.’<br/>
‘Thanks, Rowan,’ Jamie said sourly, though truly grateful at his friend. ‘But you go to Hogsmeade. I’ll just enjoy the feast here, and see you when you get back.’<br/>
Rowan shrugged, smiling at Jamie. ‘I don’t mind waiting a bit to get to Hogsmeade, you know. Do you want to go to the library to study for now?’<br/>
‘First, let’s get out of here,’ Jamie said, catching a glimpse of Merula making fun of him with Ismelda and Barnaby. They walked into the Great Hall, which was being decorated with the gigantic pumpkins and swarms of bats, and sat down to have lunch. ‘I don’t think studying now will do me much good,’ Jamie confided in Rowan. ‘Snape knows I got pretty much full marks, I just have to lay low for a while…’<br/>
Someone tapped Jamie on the shoulder, and he swivelled around on his seat to find Angelica Cole standing behind him. He frowned. ‘Angelica? You’re a Gryffindor Prefect, what are you doing here?’<br/>
‘I saw what happened with Snape back there,’ she said with a look of pity.<br/>
‘You and everyone else,’ Jamie snorted. ‘But why does that involve you?’<br/>
‘Snape was being unfair, you did save the school… And I’m betting you are looking into the Cursed Vaults again, aren’t you? I think I can help a bit,’ she said in a whisper.<br/>
‘How? Because unless you know a way of sneaking me into Hogsmeade… Or have you found something?’ Jamie asked, narrowing his eyes at Angelica.<br/>
Angelica shook her head. ‘I can’t find any information about the vaults at all. Just some rumours in the <em>Daily Prophet</em>.’<br/>
‘Yeah, I’ve probably heard them all,’ Jamie said, rolling his eyes. ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if Merula has some articles pinned to her headboard, just to laugh at me.’<br/>
‘But maybe I can get you in touch with someone who has heard more about the vaults than me,’ Angelica said. ‘And you can follow that lead while working on getting to Hogsmeade.’<br/>
‘Well, I suppose that could work…’ Rowan admitted. ‘It’d be worth looking into, at least.’<br/>
‘But why are you helping me?’ Jamie asked, a bit suspicious.<br/>
‘Look, I…’ she bit her lip, apparently considering how to put her thoughts into words. ‘Your brother Jacob was a troublemaker, but the truth is… I always liked him. He was wild, yes, but he was brave, too. Especially for a Slytherin. He did a lot to help me, so now I want to repay the favour to you by looking into the Cursed Vaults.’ Her face had darkened in a blush as she said this, but she remained upright.<br/>
‘Who is this person you are thinking of?’ asked Jamie, accepting her help.<br/>
‘Hold on, I’ll call him.’ She looked around the hall, and shouted ‘Nick! Could you come here for a moment?’<br/>
A pearly white ghost floated their way elegantly, smiling at Angelica. ‘You asked for my assistance, Angelica?’ He looked at Jamie and Rowan, and introduced himself politely. ‘Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower.’<br/>
‘Nick is a good friend to have,’ Angelica said. ‘Even if his spectral translucence is more than a little unnerving.’<br/>
‘Nick? Like Nearly-Headless Nick?’ Jamie asked, right before regretting asking.<br/>
‘I prefer to be called Sir Nicholas,’ said Nick coldly, and in an impatient movement his head wobbled dangerously.<br/>
‘Sorry, Sir Nicholas,’ Jamie said sheepishly.<br/>
‘Rumours of the Cursed Vaults go back hundreds of years,’ Angelica said. ‘Do you remember anyone searching for them back then?’ she asked Nick.<br/>
Nick nodded, and his head wobbled slightly, but he held it in place with one hand, readjusting his ruff. ‘I’ve overheard occasional chatter over the centuries from those who sought the vaults.’<br/>
‘Really? Who?’ asked Jamie eagerly.<br/>
‘It’s all a bit fuzzy… I’ve met so many interesting individuals over the centuries, both living and deceased! But I seem to recall there was an old Charms professor by the name of Fortinbras. She would talk sometimes about the vaults.’<br/>
‘Then I should search the Charms classroom for clues,’ Jamie said.<br/>
‘Maybe we could ask Flitwick if he knows something,’ Rowan said. ‘Saying it’s for research purposes, of course…’<br/>
‘Do not fear, my young Slytherins! We will investigate together!’ proclaimed Nick. Angelica left them to go to Hogsmeade, while the two students quickly finished their lunch and went up to the Charms corridor.</p><p>The Charms classroom was deserted when they arrived; and Nick noted ‘I’m certain that old teacher left some ancient books in here somewhere…’<br/>
‘Do you think they have clues to the locations of the Cursed Vaults?’ asked Jamie.<br/>
‘Locations, formations, calculations… It’s hard to remember. My brain decomposed five centuries ago, you know.’<br/>
‘Well, I’ll check the desks. Rowan, you look through those piles of books…’<br/>
‘And I’ll offer ghostly encouragement! My enthusiasm is alive and well!’ said Nick, while the two students got to work.<br/>
The desks didn’t have much of interest, but Rowan did find something after a while of reading through piles of books, one of which being the pile on which Professor Flitwick stood for their lessons. ‘I found something! It has Fortinbras’ name!’<br/>
‘The folio of Fortinbras!’ Nick said. ‘Well done indeed!’<br/>
‘The ink on most of these pages has worn away over time…’ Jamie noted, reading through some of the pages of the ancient book.<br/>
‘Good thing that doesn’t happen to ghosts!’ Nick said.<br/>
‘Wait! Here’s something…’ Rowan said, pointing at a barely legible page. ‘“It is my belief that a great power is sealed inside of Hogwarts, but what sort of power, I do not know… Riches? Magic? An instrument of hope or death? I cannot say. A group of teachers and students alike formed a circle of trust. I fashioned an artefact to seal the identity of my closest co-conspirator.” I can’t read the next paragraph, it’s too faded… Ah! A few pages later, she says “Bartholomew is the new Potions Master. We will find the vaults ourselves. He is the only one I trust. Bartholomew sought to learn who built the vaults, and why. His beaker holds the key.”’<br/>
‘Of course! That old Potions professor. He was always going on about the vaults as well.’<br/>
‘Can we ask him what he knows?’ asked Rowan.<br/>
‘Certainly not! He’s been dead hundreds of years. And not the turned-into-a-ghost kind of dead, either.’<br/>
‘Then we have to find his beaker,’ Jamie said. ‘But what if Snape is there? He can’t catch me sneaking into his office or his classroom now! I’ll lose Hogsmeade privileges for good!’<br/>
‘I can distract him for you,’ offered Rowan. ‘I have four notebooks with Snape-related questions, I can keep him engaged while you search the classroom.’<br/>
‘What if it’s in his office?’ asked Jamie.<br/>
‘Then we’ll have to think of something else.’</p><p>While Rowan went to Snape’s office with the pretext of asking questions about an essay they had to deliver in a week, Jamie and Nick entered the empty Potions classroom, and quickly got to work. With Nick floating inside the shelves, it didn’t take long for the ghost to say ‘It’s here, James! It has Bartolomew’s name!’<br/>
Jamie grabbed the dusty beaker at the back of a stone cupboard, noticing that it had a parchment roll inside. ‘This one?’<br/>
‘That is it! I’m certain. The Beaker of Bartholomew.’<br/>
‘His name is engraved on the glass.’ Jamie took out the parchment, unrolling it and scoffing at the writing. ‘Runes! Pity Rowan isn’t here to decipher them…’<br/>
‘I can read ancient runes,’ said Nick, reading over Jamie’s shoulder. ‘“Through tireless toil, I have studied our predecessors, and solved one of the greatest Hogwarts mysteries. Some wanted to keep us safe from the world; some wanted the world safe from us. Some wanted to amass power inside the school, no matter the danger. Some had the plan to keep that power in the right hands.”’<br/>
‘Is he talking about something inside the vaults?’<br/>
The door creaked open, and Jamie had just enough time to hide the parchment inside his robes before Filch came into the classroom, scowling at him. ‘What’s going on in here? Up to mischief, you and this dead ninny?’<br/>
Mrs Norris, next to Filch, hissed at them. Nick looked outraged. ‘I will not float here and be demeaned! I was a knighted courtier in the royal court of King Henry VII!’<br/>
‘You shouldn’t be messin’ about the Potions classroom when Professor Snape isn’t here,’ growled Filch, looking at Jamie with a nasty glance. ‘I’ll have to report this.’<br/>
‘I am supervising this child and will have none of your idle threats, you low-class bully!’ yelled Sir Nicholas. ‘Begone now!’<br/>
Filch grumbled something, staring daggers at the ghost, but Nick continued. ‘And I insist you give this child ten house points as way of apology.’<br/>
‘Fine!’ bellowed Filch, and Mrs Norris hissed again. ‘Ten points to… Slytherin.’<br/>
The caretaker and his grumpy cat turned around and left the room, mumbling something about misbehaving ghosts and punishments. Jamie wasted no more time, taking out the parchment and unrolling it again. ‘Quick, what do the rest of the runes say?’<br/>
‘“Each common room hides a house sigil. Only a student who is true to their house can find their sigil.” That’s all it says.’<br/>
‘So I’m only going to be able to find the Slytherin sigil…’ muttered Jamie. ‘At least, on my own.’<br/>
‘Quite right, but you may be able to learn much from your sigil alone…’</p><p>Very few students were left in the common room when Jamie and Rowan entered it, after Jamie had gone to retrieve Rowan from Snape’s office. Almost everyone past the second year was in Hogsmeade. Shortly after they arrived, Sir Nicholas came in through a wall, and joined them. ‘I say, the Slytherin Common Room!’ he said in awe, looking around. ‘The Bloody Baron has frightened many a young Slytherin in here…’<br/>
‘We have to find the house sigil. Where should we begin?’ said Jamie.<br/>
‘My ghostly intuition tells me it will be well concealed, some place it should be untouched for a thousand years or more.’<br/>
‘There could be hidden spaces in the walls or behind the floor…’ Rowan mused. ‘We can’t search every brick, but… Nick, do you think you could float around inside the walls and floor? And the ceiling too.’<br/>
‘Certainly!’ said Nick pompously, vanishing under the carpet.<br/>
They waited a few minutes, but at last Nick reappeared and beckoned at them. ‘James! Rowan! Over here! Take a look.’<br/>
‘This piece of the floor is loose…’ Jamie noted, stepping lightly over a floor tile.<br/>
‘Pry it up,’ said Rowan.<br/>
‘<em>Wingardium Leviosa!</em>’ muttered Jamie, taking out his wand and swishing it at the small tile. It rose slightly and cleanly, revealing a carved circular symbol on the stone beneath, with the Slytherin crest in the middle and words around the crest and circle.<br/>
‘We found it! The Slytherin sigil!’ Rowan said in an excited whisper. ‘It says “I cannot resist the power, though it may kill us all. I am the only one I trust to wield it and not succumb.”’<br/>
‘Who could have written this?’ wondered Jamie, carefully putting back the floor tile on its place.<br/>
‘This is even more intriguing than the Headless Hunt!’<br/>
‘I wonder what the other sigils say…’ Jamie mused.<br/>
‘Students, teachers and ghosts alike get turned around in Hogwarts,’ Nick pointed out. ‘New rooms are discovered all the time. Allow me to ruminate on what we’ve learned. I shall meet you during the Hallowe’en feast to discuss our findings.’</p><p>The Hallowe’en feast arrived, and Jamie and Rowan enjoyed the sweets that had been laid in the golden plates, and even some black cauldrons, while they talked about their findings. ‘At least we know why they were made,’ Jamie said. ‘And they’re probably sealing something dangerous…’<br/>
‘But what could be so dangerous to go through all that trouble?’ wondered Rowan.<br/>
Jamie shrugged, but before he could offer any ideas he saw Sir Nicholas floating their way hurriedly, and pointed at him with his head to warn Rowan. ‘Nick! Did you work something out?’<br/>
‘Ah, yes!’ said Nick happily. ‘I’ve been thinking about what we found in the Slytherin Common Room. Hogwarts was always meant to be a safe place. But being a safe place, Hogwarts had a responsibility to protect dangerous things… Thereby, making Hogwarts less safe… Later headmasters and professors recognized this… Is it possible someone took advantage of the way the floorplan of the school appears to shift over time? We believe the vaults were built to hold something dangerous that could be placed inside… but what if the vaults were built around something dangerous that could not be moved?’<br/>
‘Then it’s something extremely dangerous…’ Rowan concluded, somewhat darkly.<br/>
‘I wonder how much my brother knew about this…’<br/>
‘I am confident that a curious student like yourself is destined to find out!’ Nick said. Looking at the High Table, near which many ghosts were reuniting, he said ‘Oh, dear! The ghostly performance is going to start! I must leave now, but if ever you need the help of a courageous ghost again, call on me again!’<br/>
‘We could try to find the other house sigils,’ Rowan said, while they watched the ghosts perform an undead dance for the students and staff. ‘We could get Penny to help with the Hufflepuff one… And I’m sure Bill Weasley could find the Gryffindor one in no time!’<br/>
‘That still leaves Ravenclaw, though,’ said Jamie. ‘I’m not sure it matters much, I doubt the other seals hold more information than our own. I think I better focus for now on trying to impress Snape to get to Hogsmeade, and work from there.’</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Christmas Gift</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>‘First time in Hogsmeade?’ A voice took Jamie a bit by surprise as he was walking the snowy streets of the magical village. He saw a dark skinned boy talking to him, with short black hair and a purple scarf. The student seemed familiar to Jamie, he had to be another third year, a Ravenclaw if he was remembering correctly.<br/>
‘How’d you know?’<br/>
‘You have that look about you. Excited, cold, and not exactly sure where you’re going. I’m Andre Egwu,’ the Ravenclaw explained, offering a hand.<br/>
Shaking the hand, Jamie remembered. ‘Oh, I remember you from Flying Class. You have to be the best Quidditch player by now!’<br/>
Andre chuckled. ‘Charlie Weasley might be a bit better, but I do love Quidditch.’ He pointed to his scarf, saying ‘That’s why I never go anywhere without my Pride of Portree scarf. The Prides are the best team on the league!’<br/>
‘So what are you doing in Hogsmeade?’ Jamie changed the subject, not very interested in talking about sports.<br/>
Andre shook the bags he was carrying in his hand, which were filled with clothing items. ‘Shopping for myself, and for my family back home.’<br/>
‘Interesting. I didn’t think top Quidditch players cared about fashion...’<br/>
‘Clothes make the wizard. The better you look, the better you feel, the better you are at Quidditch. Or, in your case, curse-breaking,’ said Andre with a smile.<br/>
‘So you know about that too...’<br/>
‘Everyone knows who you are, James Smith. Cursed ice had trapped me in the Quidditch Changing Rooms when you broke the curse on that vault. You saved my life.’<br/>
Jamie clenched his teeth. He wasn’t the best at being complimented. ‘Well, that wasn’t all me. I had a lot of help from my friends, you know.’<br/>
‘Well, I want to help too. A curse-breaking hero like yourself needs a proper outfit for exploring Hogsmeade. Let me give you something. You’ll look just like one of the locals.’ He grabbed a dark purple scarf from one of the bags he was carrying, and handed it to the Slytherin.<br/>
Jamie looked at it, curious, and wrapped it around his neck. It was quite comfy and warm. ‘You really think this helps me look like I belong in Hogsmeade?’<br/>
‘Oh, absolutely. You are going to be breaking curses and getting dates in no time, Jamie!’<br/>
Jamie scoffed. ‘I’ve never been on a date. I wouldn’t even know how to get one.’<br/>
‘Because you’ve been busy breaking curses, and saving Hogwarts! Besides, most students don’t even start dating until they’re at least fourth-years. But if you need help, you can find me when you’re ready and I’ll tell you everything I know.’<br/>
He seemed a bit too confident, thought Jamie, though he was thankful for the well-intentioned offer. ‘It was great meeting you, Andre. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to see Madam Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks.’<br/>
‘Anytime, Curse-Breaker. I’m always happy to help.’</p><p>If Hagrid was correct, and he (suprisingly) often was, then Madam Rosmerta might have some information on Jacob. Pushing the front door, Jamie stepped inside the welcoming atmosphere of the pub. Waving at him was Rowan, who seemed extremely excited to be there. When Jamie got close enough, the bespectacled teen talked. ‘I can’t believe we’re actually in the Three Broomsticks! I’ve read about it in <em> Sites of Historical Sorcery, Notable Magical Names of Our Time, Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century...</em>‘<br/>
‘I’m glad we can experience it together, Rowan,’ Jamie replied with a smile. Indeed, even though Hogsmeade visits had started since October, it wasn’t until December that Snape had changed his mind regarding Jamie's ban. ‘Now to find what Madam Rosmerta knows about my brother, and his research on the Cursed Vaults.’<br/>
A gruffy voice greeted him from across the room. ‘Jamie! Over here!’ Hagrid was waving at him from a corner of the pub. The boys sat at the table Hagrid was standing next to. ‘Welcome teh the Three Broomsticks! What do yeh think so far?’<br/>
Jamie looked around the other tables with a grin. ‘I think we should have one of these famous butterbeers!’<br/>
Hagrid nodded, calling for the pub owner, ‘Clear the way! Butterbeer for this one comin’ through!’</p><p>A blonde woman came to the table, with a kind look on her face. ‘Hello, friends. Welcome to the Three Broomsticks.’<br/>
Hagrid greeted her. ‘Hello, Rosmerta. Butterbeers all around, please.’<br/>
‘Butterbeers. Right away.’<br/>
Before she left, Jamie tried to speak to her. ‘Madam Rosmerta, I was wondering if I could ask you about-’<br/>
‘-Half a moment, dear. I’ve got other tables to attend to, you see. Be back soon.’</p><p>For about an hour, they drank the rounds that were served to them, waiting for Rosmerta to come back and talking about Hogsmeade. Rosmerta kept her word, returning to their table. ‘Sorry about making you wait. Someone had a question?’<br/>
Hagrid introduced Rosmerta to Jamie. ‘Rosmerta, this is Jamie Smith, a student at Hogwarts. He was dyin’ ter taste yer butterbeer!’<br/>
‘Well, I’m very flattered. Bottoms up!’<br/>
‘Jamie wanted ter ask yeh about Jacob Smith,’ Hagrid added.<br/>
Rosmerta gave Jamie an understanding look. ‘Was he your brother?’<br/>
Jamie nodded. ‘Yes, Madam. I heard you knew him, and was wondering if you had any information about him, or his search for the Cursed Vaults.’<br/>
‘I remember Jacob... quiet boy. Sweet. He spent a lot of time at the bar, scribbling in notebooks.’<br/>
‘Notebooks?’<br/>
‘Aye. Then one day, a pair of Ministry Aurors grabbed Jacob by the hood of his robes, and dragged him out the door. The only thing he left behind was a black quill.’<br/>
Rowan almost jumped from his seat. ‘Another Black Quill! Jamie! What if your brother Transfigured his notes into the quill to hide them from the Ministry?’<br/>
Jamie was in the same mood. ‘Madam Rosmerta, please find me that quill. I’ll do anything!’<br/>
Rosmerta raised her hands in surrender. ‘All right, settle down. I don’t throw anything out, so I’m sure it’s here somewhere. I’ll look in the back, but it may take me a few days to find anything. It’s a mess in there, and no charm in the world could tidy it up. I might ask you to do an odd job or two in the meantime. Make sure my customers are taken care of while I dig through the back room...’<br/>
‘Thank you, Madam Rosmerta.’<br/>
‘You’re welcome, dear. I hope you find your brother.’</p><p>The next visit to Hogsmeade Jamie worked for Madam Rosmerta while she looked for the quill. Offering to help make a new flavour of butterbeer, Jamie found himself in the task of finding a few ingredients from all around: a Sugar Shrub from the greenhouses, Mallowsweet from the Potions Classroom, and Moondew. The task was easy enough, returning to the pub with all three ingredients. The new flavour of extra-sweet butterbeer proved to be a success, and Jamie was rewarded for his efforts with the Black Quill Rosmerta found. ‘I hope this works...’ Jamie muttered as he took out his wand, looking at the quill sitting on the pub’s table. ‘<em>Reparifarge!</em>‘ Tapping it with the wand, the Quill transformed into a brown leather notebook.<br/>
Before he had any time to celebrate, Argus Filch appeared behind him, grabbing the book hurriedly. ‘Don’t believe you’ll be finding out any time soon, eh? That notebook, I’ll be taking it from you now.’<br/>
‘Mr Filch?! That notebook belongs to me!’<br/>
‘Not anymore. I’ll be addin’ it to the collection of confiscated contraband in my office. Professor Snape’s orders. Anything related to the Cursed Vaults is to be kept away from student... for their safety, of course,’ the caretaker said with a cruel grin, leaving the pub quickly.<br/>
Jamie looked at the door the caretaker had exited through with fury, the gears in his head spinning. ‘<em>Looks like I’ll have to get it back from him...</em>‘</p><p>Tonks agreed to help him, taking him to Zonko’s Joke Shop for ideas and materials. The jokester shop owner, Bilton Bilmes, seemed quite passionate about his job. Too passionate, Jamie thought. The constant fumbling around and jokes were starting to get to his nerves, and it hadn’t even been that long of a conversation. Thankfully, he got what he needed: a Nose-Biting Teacup. Nothing too dangerous, he didn’t want to behead the old man; but nothing too light to not have a bit of a revenge.</p><p>‘Filch and Mrs Norris just tore out of his office. Now’s your chance to get inside, and find your brother’s notebook. Filch never leaves his office for long, so be ready with your prank.’ Tonks rushed him into the room.<br/>
‘Thanks, Tonks. Hopefully, I’ll find the notebook and be gone before he ever gets back... <em>Alohomora</em>!’ He said, pointing with his wand at the lock, which instantly clicked.<br/>
‘Good luck, Jamie. I’ll keep an eye out for you...’</p><p>Filch’s office was just as cold and depressing as Jamie had imagined. Finding his brother’s notebook would surely take forever, with the amount of boxes and drawers. Placing a huge yellow gift box on the desk, Jamie prepared for Filch’s eventual arrival.<br/>
‘It just isn’t fair, Mrs Norris...’ he heard the caretaker coming back to the office, and quickly took out his wand, whispering ‘<em>Reducio,</em>‘ and downsizing himself to doll size. Hiding under the desk easily just in time, he heard Filch come into the office, talking to his cat. ‘Bad enough I have to deal with Peeves, an’ these filthy little misbehabin’ beasts, but now I’m doin’ chores for Professor Snape. Why should I be freezin’ our whiskers off in Hogsmeade just to steal some child’s notebook?’ His voice took on a much sadder tone. ‘Maybe I want a butterbeer too... I get no respect, Mrs Norris. None at all... And I’m the only one keepin’ this school in order...’ He stopped when he saw the box in his desk. ‘Wait a minute... What’s this here? A gift? For me?’ Jamie could almost hear the caretaker’s smile forming and a tear building up. ‘Professor Dumbledore must finally be recognising me for all my hard work...’</p><p>Opening it, it revealed the teacup, which Filch took with a careful hand, examining it up close. ‘Why, it’s a teacup! Who would get such a nice gift for a poor squib like me?’ The teacup suddenly jumped at him, closing it’s opening around his nose. ‘AHHHHH! Nose-Biting Teacup! Run, Mrs Norris!’ Filch sprinted out of his office, with his cat following him. Using the Enlargement Charm, Jamie returned to his natural size, searching quickly through the office while he still had time. Unlocking a drawer with <em>Alohomora</em>, he found the notebook, but the pages inside were written in some sort of code. Knowing precisely what Slytherin could help him crack this code, he slipped out, and walked back to his Common Room, making sure that no-one had seen him exit Filch’s office.</p><p>By mid-December, almost every student had gone back home for the Christmas holidays, after one last supper where the Frog Choir sang for the whole Great Hall. Only a handful of students stayed behind: Bill Weasley and his brother Charlie, Rowan Khanna, Penny Haywood, James Smith, Nymphadora Tonks, and Merula Snyde. The first six were sitting together on a couple of benches, in between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff Tables, chatting excitedly. Or most of them where excited, at least. Bill, noticing something was off with his friend, asked ‘Are you alright, Jamie? You look a bit down.’<br/>
Jamie frowned, looking down. ‘Oh, I just miss my mum. She’s staying with relatives in America, so I won’t be able to see her this Christmas…’<br/>
Bill gave a sympathetic look. ‘I understand. I always miss my family as it gets closer to seeing them at Christmas.’<br/>
‘I’m right here,’ his brother pointed out. Jamie had not spoken much with the Gryffindor, but he seemed quite friendly, just like his brother. A bit too much into dragons, but his passion was contagious sometimes.<br/>
‘You know what I mean, Charlie.’<br/>
‘I’m surprised you two didn’t head home for the holidays,’ Jamie said.<br/>
‘Apparently, Fred and George wrecked The Burrow. Mum says it isn’t safe to come back until everything is fixed,’ Bill explained.<br/>
Charlie said ‘I suppose it’s best for them to get it out of their systems before coming to Hogwarts.’<br/>
Bill steered the conversation back to his friend. ‘What can we do to cheer you up, Jamie?’<br/>
Jamie tried to wave it off. ‘I don’t want to talk about it and ruin everyone else’s Christmas. Let’s hear about everyone else’s plans! What about you, Tonks? Why did you stay?’<br/>
‘To see what sort of trouble I can get into…’ Tonks said, smiling mischievously.<br/>
‘And you, Rowan?’ asked Jamie.<br/>
‘I waited my whole life to get to Hogwarts. I’m not leaving now unless I have to. My parents even sent me a stack of books for Christmas! I had to open them early…’<br/>
Penny agreed with Rowan’s reasoning. ‘Same here. Why leave for the Christmas holidays when I can catch up with you?’<br/>
Jamie looked around the room, thinking aloud ‘It sounds like we’re about the only students who decided to stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays.’<br/>
‘We have the castle all to ourselves…’ Tonks said, still smirking.<br/>
‘Imagine all the reading we can do!’<br/>
‘I don’t know if that will help Jamie feel any better…’ Bill said to Rowan.<br/>
‘Don’t worry about me. I don’t think there’s anything here that could make me miss my mum any less.’<br/>
‘Maybe not, but we can definitely distract you,’ Tonks offered. ‘Let’s go outside! The snow’s perfect!’</p><p>The six friends went outside, where a few inches of snow covered the grounds. Immediately, they split up, some making shapes with the snow, others chatting. Trembling from the sudden coldness, Jamie joked ‘Shivering in the snow isn’t going to make me feel any better about my family, Tonks.’<br/>
‘No, but having a laugh will!’<br/>
‘And we can’t laugh inside where it’s warm?’<br/>
‘We could… But then I wouldn’t be able to show you how to bewitch snowballs.’<br/>
‘Bewitch snowballs?’<br/>
‘Just watch, Jamie. Then get ready for a magic snowball fight…’ Tonks pointed her wand at the ground, muttering an incantation. A snowball formed, rising up in the air and being sent straight at Penny’s back, who yelped in surprise. Jamie tried to repeat the incantation, forming another snowball aimed at Rowan’s shoulder. Tonks clapped at the sight. ‘I think you’ve got it, Jamie! Try against me!’<br/>
Standing away from Tonks, with their friends gathered around them, Jamie sent a few balls against the Hufflepuff, hitting her in the face. ‘Sorry, Tonks! I was aiming at the chest.’<br/>
Tonks laughed. ‘Don’t be sorry, Jamie! Now it’s my turn…’ Pointing her wand at the ground beneath Jamie’s feet, she conjured a trio of snowballs that danced around the Slytherin, hitting him one by one as he laughed uncontrollably. ‘I told you this would be fun! Now, give up, Jamie.’<br/>
‘Never!’ Jamie did the same as Tonks, sending a few more snowballs at her. The fight continued for a few more minutes, until Jamie raised his hands in surrender. ‘Okay, okay, you win. Let’s head inside, I’m freezing.’</p><p>Inside the castle, Penny pulled Tonks and Jamie aside, leading them to the Artefact Room, where a cauldron was sitting on the floor along with a book and a few test tubes and ingredients. ‘Come here! I’m making just the thing to warm us up,’ Penny explained.<br/>
‘Are you brewing a sort of fire potion?’ Jamie asked, half joking, half curious.<br/>
‘No, but close… I’m making egg-nog!’ Penny said excitedly.<br/>
‘Egg-nog? Isn’t that a drink for adults?’ Jamie wondered.<br/>
‘Not my mum’s recipe. It’s for everyone!’<br/>
‘Now that’s my sort of potion,’ Tonks grinned.<br/>
‘My mum makes it during the Christmas holidays. It’s delicious, and perfect for getting rid of any winter chill. Have a look, and I’ll teach you her secret recipe!’</p><p>Sitting around the cauldron, they watched as Penny prepared the egg-nog, explaining the recipe during the process. Finally, Penny stood up, taking a glass from her bag and offering it to her friends. ‘The egg-nog is finished! Give it a try…’ Jamie took the glass first, filling it with some egg-nog. He gave it a sip, handing it to Tonks as Penny asked ‘How do you like my egg-nog, Jamie?’<br/>
‘It’s delicious. I can’t feel the cold anymore!’<br/>
Penny beamed up. ‘I know, right?! Are you feeling better?’<br/>
Reminded of his problems, Jamie missed even more his home. Quickly finding something else to do to take his mind off things, he excused himself. ‘Thanks for trying to cheer me up, but I think I’ll head back to the Common Room and catch up on my studies.’<br/>
Tonks peeked into the cauldron, the glass in her hand empty. ‘I think I’ll drink the rest of this egg-nog…’<br/>
‘We’ll see you at the Christmas Feast, Jamie!’ Penny said, as Jamie exited the room.</p><p>His studying session in the Slytherin Common Room with Rowan devolved into a conspiratorial search for a fabled Yeti that was said to wander the castle grounds in winter, as study sessions often do. Deciding to investigate further, Jamie sent a letter to the one person he knew could have some juicy information on the subject: Rita Skeeter. The journalist had come to the school before, interviewing him for a libellous article, though Jamie had managed to divert the attention to others, even managing to give Rowan the spotlight on an actually flattering article. </p><p>Skeeter’s reply came on the morning of Christmas Eve, asking him to meet in an empty corridor on the seventh floor that same hour. How she would sneak into the school, Jamie preferred not to know. Walking into the corridor with Rowan, Jamie saw the blonde woman in a pink dress and rectangular glasses waiting for them. ‘Well, well, well…’ she mused, as they approached her. ‘Happy Christmas, Mr Smith.’<br/>
‘Happy Christmas, Rita.’<br/>
‘A Happy Christmas to you as well, Mr Khanna.’<br/>
‘You make me nervous…’ Rowan muttered, looking at his feet.<br/>
Grinning, Rita took out a piece of parchment and her green Self-Writing Quill. ‘I’ll take that as a compliment. I understand you two are interested in the massive Yeti that terrorises Hogwarts during the Christmas holidays…’<br/>
‘Is it true?’ Rowan asked, still not looking at the journalist.<br/>
‘I wrote a story about it for the <em>Daily Prophet</em>, so it must be true,’ Rita said off-handedly. Rowan scoffed, and she looked at him offended. ‘Excuse me?’<br/>
‘Nothing. Just a sneeze. It’s been cold...’<br/>
‘If you want information about the Yeti, I’ll need something in exchange…’ Rita said. ‘Tell me the juiciest secret you know.’<br/>
Jamie came up with something on the spot, granting her request in his own way. ‘Professor Dumbledore is secretly a Metamorphmagus. I’ve even seen him impersonate you.’<br/>
Rita’s quill began writing furiously on the parchment, floating by her side, while she thought about it. ‘I’ve always known there was something off about that man… He must be responsible for sullying my pristine reputation. I will need to validate your claim, of course. I can’t publish unsubstantiated rumours in the <em>Daily Prophet</em>…’ Rowan scoffed again, disguising it as a sneeze when he felt Skeeter’s furious look. Rita continued. ‘You’ve held your end of the bargain, Mr Smith. I will tell you everything I know about the Yeti who preys on Hogwarts during the Christmas holidays. Obviously, Yetis prefer cold climates, so being here during winter is no problem. It hunts during the Holidays when there are fewer witnesses. And no one knows where the Yeti lurks, until it’s too late… They also say a Yeti escaped Kettleburn’s care years ago, nothing surprising. And that’s all! Good luck on your hunt for the Yeti. Please let me know if you capture it. Also, please let me know if you witness it devour one of your friends. Either one would make for an excellent story. Happy Christmas.’ The woman turned around, walking down the corridor as her quill and parchment followed her, still writing.<br/>
When she turned a corner and disappeared from sight, Rowan turned to Jamie. ‘Do you really think she’s telling the truth?’<br/>
‘I’m not sure what to think anymore… Let’s see what Hagrid knows about the Yeti.’</p><p>They found Hagrid in the Charms Classroom, looking for his puppy Fang. He knew nothing about the Yeti of the rumours, but he did tell them all he knew about the species, advising them to talk to their teacher for Care of Magical Creatures, Professor Kettleburn. Said professor was in the Courtyard when the two Slytherins found him, his white hair and moustache almost the same colour as the snow around them. His wooden arm and leg were covered in a slight layer of frost, and they creaked more than usual with every move. When he saw the students approaching, he greeted them, his only eye twinkling. ‘Happy Christmas!’<br/>
‘Happy Christmas, Professor Kettleburn!’ Jamie said politely.<br/>
‘I hope you didn’t get me a new leg for Christmas. I’ve grown quite fond of this one,’ the professor joked.<br/>
‘No, sir. We just wanted to see what you knew about the Yeti that’s supposedly wandering about the castle grounds,’ Jamie said.<br/>
‘Did it eat a student?!’ Kettleburn asked, alarmed.<br/>
‘I don’t think so…’<br/>
The Scotsman sighed. ‘That’s a relief. I feel like I ask that question far too often…’<br/>
‘No, actually, I think it would be really cool to capture a Yeti. I never thought I’d get to do that over the Christmas holidays,’ Jamie explained.<br/>
‘I caught a Manticore on Easter once,’ the professor recalled, before returning to the subject. ‘I’ll tell you the story of how this particular Yeti got loose at Hogwarts! We brought the Yeti over from Tibet years ago for our students to study. In retrospect, I probably should have had a better plan for keeping it contained. To my knowledge, it hasn’t hurt a thing. Perhaps this Yeti is a pacifist… To be fair, I can’t say for certain that the Yeti is still at Hogwarts.’<br/>
‘Where do you think the Yeti is now?’ Jamie asked.<br/>
‘I haven’t the slightest idea. It could have made a home in the Forbidden Forest… It could have wandered far away from the castle grounds… It could have opened a cosy little inn in Hogsmeade… It’s fifteen feet tall, so wherever it is, it’s somewhere with plenty of space.’<br/>
‘Thanks, Professor Kettleburn. That’s very helpful,’ Jamie thanked him for the information.<br/>
‘You two really shouldn’t go searching for that Yeti…’ Kettleburn warned. Smiling, he added excitedly ‘But if you do, try to get him back to the Care of Magical Creatures pen.’</p><p>Wandering around the Training Grounds, Rowan and Jamie found Fang sniffing around, who started to bark at them happily when it saw them. Petting it, Rowan said ‘We found Fang!’<br/>
Looking around, Jamie recalled ‘Kettleburn said the Yeti might be somewhere spacious, and this is the most spacious place I can think of… Oh, well. If we can’t find the Yeti, I’m glad we found Fang. We’d better get him to Hagrid’s hut, so he isn’t worried.’<br/>
Fang suddenly started barking at thin air, whining. ‘What is Fang barking at?’ Rowan asked, trying to see through the snow.<br/>
‘I don’t know, maybe he’s just c-’</p><p>A deep roar interrupted him. In front of them, in the distance, a white figure was moving towards them. Getting closer, its towering height of fifteen feet made the students step back, though not in time for it to notice them. It banged its hands on its chest, roaring at them again. ‘It’s the Yeti!’ Rowan cried.<br/>
‘Yes! I noticed!’<br/>
‘Yetis eat people! And dogs, probably!’<br/>
‘You really aren’t helping… Stay back! I’ll try to stop it!’ Jamie took out his wand, and Rowan stood back, taking Fang in his arms.</p><p>The Yeti jumped at them, punching the ground with all his might and weight. The two teens had managed to get out of the way on time, but the tremor caused Jamie to fall down. From his position, he pointed his wand at the Yeti’s face, aiming carefully. ‘<em>Flipendo</em>!’ The spell hit the Yeti between the eyes, and it roared in pain, covering its face with its hands. The Yeti didn’t move, other than shake from the pain. Jamie stood up slowly, prepared to send a myriad of charms and jinxes at the creature.<br/>
Rowan got a bit closer to Jamie, looking at the Yeti with a victorious look. ‘You defeated a Yeti, Jamie! I can’t believe it!’ The dog in his arms barked happily, and the Yeti groaned.<br/>
‘I think it might be hurt… That was a bit easier than I thought,’ Jamie said.<br/>
‘What should we do with the Yeti?’<br/>
‘We should take it to Kettleburn. He’ll know how to help it, and hopefully it won’t escape again.’<br/>
‘Fang and I can handle it.’<br/>
Looking between the Yeti and his friend, Jamie asked ‘Are you sure…?’<br/>
‘The Yeti seems pretty docile now, so I think we’ll be fine… If it gets angry again, we’ll just run and scream,’ Rowan said with a smile. Fang barked happily, almost as if he was agreeing.<br/>
‘Thanks, Rowan. See you at the Great Hall, and good luck…’</p><p>The Great Hall was decorated beautifully, with a giant Christmas tree behind the High Table, and a dozen smaller ones around the tables. Jamie’s friends were all sitting in the middle of the Great Hall, chatting. Merula was sitting alone, in a corner of the Slytherin Table, reading a book. Jamie arrived, and went to sit with his friends, who all stopped talking when he got close. Penny was the first to greet him. ‘I still can’t believe the Yeti exists, much less that you battled it right here at school! But are you feeling a little better, Jamie?’<br/>
‘I’m not sure how much the Yeti had to do with it, but yes, I’m feeling quite a bit better. I miss my family, but I’m lucky to have such great friends.’<br/>
‘Don’t make me cry, Jamie. It fogs up my glasses,’ Rowan said, touched by Jamie’s words.<br/>
Penny looked around the friends. ‘This is our Hogwarts family. We should do something to make it feel a bit more like a traditional family Christmas back home…’<br/>
‘I could pull a muscle trying to chop down a Christmas tree…’ Rowan thought.<br/>
Tonks smirked. ‘I could open everyone’s gifts the night before…’<br/>
‘I could pretend to yell at Fred and George for wrecking everything…’ Bill mused.<br/>
‘Those all sound fun, but let’s come up with more Christmas ideas…’ Jamie proposed, earning nods from the others.</p><p>For a while, they talked and laughed, sharing ideas and offering options as to how spend time together during the festivity. In between ideas, Jamie stole some glances at Merula, feeling a bit sad for her, and wondering if he should ask her to join them. Coming up with an idea, he shared it with the rest. ‘I think it would be a lot of fun to give each other gifts.’<br/>
‘That’s brilliant. We’ll each choose one friend, and find them something nice here at Hogwarts,’ Bill supported the idea.<br/>
‘Who do you want to get a gift for, Jamie?’ Charlie asked.<br/>
Jamie looked again at the only occupant of the Slytherin Table. ‘…I think I should get something for Merula. I feel bad for her sitting all alone. It’s sad, really…’ he said, trying to make sure she didn’t hear.<br/>
Obviously he wasn’t successful, as Merula pointed out from across the room ‘You realise sound carries quite well in this room…’<br/>
Rowan stroked his chin. ‘If you’re getting something for Merula, I think I’ll get something for Penny.’<br/>
‘Thanks Rowan! I’ll get you something too!’ Penny said, smiling wide at the bookworm.<br/>
‘Let’s search the castle for gifts, and meet back here when we’re finished,’ Jamie proposed. They left the Great Hall, splitting up to search for their would-be gifts. </p><p>While he was pacing around a corridor, Jamie saw Peeves floating above him, motioning him to follow and giggling. When Jamie saw him, the poltergeist immediately flew into the Artefact Room. Following Peeves didn’t seem like a good idea, but his curiosity had been piqued. Entering the room, Jamie saw the colourful poltergeist waiting for him in front of a dusty blackboard, smiling his devious smile. ‘What do you want, Peeves?’ asked Jamie.<br/>
‘Hmmm… A massive Niffler made of fireworks that spits fire and kicks Filch and turns everything boring into explosions! Also, complete chaos! Also, a new hat!’ Peeves said with his usual malicious grin.<br/>
‘I mean, why did you call me here?’<br/>
‘I heard Smith is looking for a gift for Snyde, and I have the perfect thing… I like Snyde. She’s always causing trouble.’<br/>
Jamie was surprised at Peeves’ unusually kind gesture. ‘That’s actually helpful, Peeves. What is it?’<br/>
‘You have to find it yourself!’<br/>
‘Okay, a bit less helpful now…’<br/>
‘Happy Hallowe’en!’<br/>
‘It’s Christmas…’<br/>
‘April Fools!’</p><p>Rolling his eyes, Jamie started searching around the room for anything that wasn’t useless trash, or skulls. Peeves made comments along the way, mocking him while guiding him (in a very broad sense of the word “guide”). ‘You’re getting warmer! You’re hot! You’re boiling! You’re sizzling! You’re melting!’<br/>
‘I found something!’ Jamie grabbed the object from the cabinet Peeves had just commented as “melting”.<br/>
Peeves looked over Jamie’s shoulder, laughing manically. ‘You found the perfect present for Snyde!’<br/>
‘Why would Merula want a song book?’ wondered Jamie, looking at the book.<br/>
Peeves tapped his nose with a finger. ‘Trust in Peeves, Smith. He knows things… Also, he is me.’<br/>
‘Well, I don’t really know what she would want, so it’s worth a try. Thanks for your help, Peeves! Happy Christmas!’</p><p>After helping Rowan gather a few ingredients for Penny’s present from the Potions Classroom, once they had made sure that Snape was away for the holidays, they returned together to the Great Hall with their gifts wrapped. When they entered the Great Hall, their friends were gathered around the fireplace, and Jamie saw Merula asleep with her head on top of a pile of books at the Slytherin Table. ‘Was everyone able to get their gifts?’ Jamie asked, seeing the boxes with bows on the table.<br/>
Bill nodded. ‘I found something cool in the Gryffindor Common Room.’<br/>
‘I found something cool by the Whomping Willow!’ Charlie said.<br/>
Tonks grinned. ‘I may or may not have found something cool in Filch’s office…’<br/>
‘Well, I think I found the perfect gift for Merula. Let’s open our presents!’</p><p>They chatted for a while before actually opening them, sharing stories about past gifts. Once they were all excited enough, Jamie asked ‘Who should open their present first?’ Seeing that Merula was now awake, Jamie trotted over to the Slytherin Table with his present for her. ‘How about you, Merula?’ he said with a smile, placing the yellow box on the table.<br/>
‘You seriously got me something?’ She asked, looking at it with a bit of disbelief. ‘You’re such an idiot.’<br/>
‘Everyone knows that! Open it.’<br/>
Merula grabbed the box with care, almost as if she expected it to explode or attack her. Carefully, she opened the lid, peering inside. Taking the book, she inspected it closely. ‘You got me a song book?’<br/>
‘I know it’s sort of strange, but I-’ he started to explain.<br/>
She looked at him confused. ‘How did you know I wanted a song book?’<br/>
‘I… didn’t really. Peeves told me. Do you like to sing?’<br/>
‘I…’ She went quiet for a moment, that felt like an eternity for Jamie, until she looked at him with a genuine smile. ‘Thank you, Smith. Happy Christmas.’<br/>
Jamie pointed at his friends with his head, with a questioning look for Merula, inviting her to join them. She nodded slightly, and they went back to the others, with Jamie sitting back down and Merula standing awkwardly behind them. Rowan tapped on a box on the table that had Jamie’s name on it. ‘Open yours, Jamie!’<br/>
‘All right…’ He opened it, revealing a framed photograph. ‘It’s a photo of all of my friends…’<br/>
‘We took it before anyone else left for the Christmas holidays,’ Tonks explained.<br/>
‘The frame is made from an alder tree grown on my parent’s farm,’ Rowan added.<br/>
‘Do you like it, Jamie?’ Penny asked.<br/>
Jamie’s smile grew wider. ‘Like it? I love it! Thank you. All of you. I don’t know what to say…’<br/>
‘You don’t have to say anything, Jamie. Happy Christmas,’ Bill said, happy to see his friend enjoy the gift. His face suddenly fell. ‘Oh no!’<br/>
‘What’s wrong?’ Charlie asked.<br/>
‘I just remembered that mum and dad are coming to visit, and we haven’t got them anything!’<br/>
‘Don’t worry. We’ll find a perfect gift for your mum and dad before they get to Hogwarts,’ Jamie assured the brothers.</p><p>The Weasley twins and Jamie started by getting a present for Arthur Weasley, looking around in the Artefact Room. The Weasley father enjoyed Muggle artefacts, so that’s what they looked for. They found one, a rectangular box made of metal with a lever on the side, and a strange rope coming from one side, that Bill recognized as a plug. Jamie theorized that the artefact acted as some sort of safe, seeing the two slots that it had. The Weasleys then advised Jamie to find colourful wool for Molly Weasley, whose passion was knitting. Quite a nice selection of wool was found by Jamie and Rowan in the Slytherin Common Room, left there by Rowan himself to organise his research.</p><p>However, even with these two gifts prepared Jamie felt he wanted to give them something himself. He decided to put on a bit of a show, by learning a new spell and performing in front of the Weasley parents. Rowan proposed the Snowflake-Making Spell, which he had seen Merula cast once. The Feast would begin soon, so Jamie searched quickly around the castle for Merula. Seeing her in the Courtyard, he approached her, to her annoyance. ‘What are you doing here, Smith?’<br/>
‘I could ask you the same thing. Why are you out here in the freezing cold all by yourself?’ he said with a half-smile.<br/>
‘I don’t want to talk about it. Especially with you,’ she replied, colder than the temperature.<br/>
‘That’s fine,’ Jamie shrugged. ‘I just wanted to see if you’d teach me the Snowflake-Making Spell. I thought it would be nice to use it at the Christmas Feast. Where did you learn it?’<br/>
‘None of your business.’<br/>
‘Will you at least teach me the spell?’ he pleaded.<br/>
‘Will you leave me alone if I do?’ she said with a sigh.<br/>
‘If that’s what you want…’<br/>
‘Fine… I suppose I owe you something for getting me that song book…’ She took out her wand, and Jamie did the same. Going through the wand movement and incantation, she explained the spell, occasionally throwing jabs at him. ‘I think you have it, Smith. Try casting the Snowflake-Making Charm.’ Jamie muttered the words, drawing the correct shape with his wand. Above them, snowflakes started appearing and falling softly on their heads. ‘Not bad, Smith. Not bad…’<br/>
Still looking at the falling snowflakes, Jamie asked ‘Why didn’t you go home for the Christmas holidays, Merula?’<br/>
Merula looked down, upset, as she muttered ‘I don’t have anything to go home to… My parents are in Azkaban… My house is empty…’ Her voice cracked, as a barely audible whisper escaped. ‘My life is ruined…’ Jamie looked at her, pity in his eyes. The girl said ‘My mum taught me that spell when I was just a little girl, and we’d use it every Christmas. It’s the only spell she ever taught me that couldn’t be used to hurt someone…’<br/>
‘I’m sorry, Merula.’<br/>
Her expression turned into a scowl, as she looked up at him. ‘I don’t want your pity, Smith. I just want to be left alone.’<br/>
Silence fell between the two. Jamie broke it after about a minute, with a soft voice. ‘I wish you’d come with me to the Christmas Feast.’<br/>
Merula looked up at the snow, still falling, her face now stoic. ‘We don’t always get what we wish for, Smith. Happy Christmas.’ She left the Courtyard, leaving Jamie alone. With a sigh, he too began walking towards the castle interior, towards the Great Hall, where Mr and Mrs Weasley would arrive soon.</p><p>‘It’s nice to finally meet you, Mr and Mrs Weasley,’ Jamie introduced himself to the two adults, sitting with their children and their friends.<br/>
‘You as well, Jamie. We’ve heard so much about you,’ Molly Weasley said, her voice full of kindness.<br/>
‘Tell us about your adventures with the Cursed Vaults!’ Arthur asked, but after seeing the look his wife gave him, he cleared his throat, correcting himself. ‘I mean, you certainly shouldn’t be messing with those Cursed Vaults. Especially not with our boys.’<br/>
‘What brings you to Hogwarts?’ asked Jamie.<br/>
‘Well, I wanted to see Bill and Charlie…’ Molly started. ‘And if I’m being honest, Fred and George were driving me a bit mad.’<br/>
‘They always get especially excited around Christmas. And they’re already rather… excitable,’ Arthur added.<br/>
Mrs Weasley continued. ‘Great Aunt Muriel is at the Burrow watching them, along with Ginny, Percy and Ronald.’<br/>
‘Great Aunt Muriel was driving me a bit mad as well,’ Arthur admitted, earning another furious look from his wife. ‘Sorry, dear.’<br/>
‘We got you gifts!’ Bill took out the wrapped boxes, putting them on the table in front of his parents.<br/>
His mother looked at the gifts with teary eyes. ‘Gifts for your mum and dad? That’s very thoughtful, Bill. You had better not make me cry in front of your friends…’<br/>
‘Yes, well, we couldn’t have done it without Jamie.’<br/>
‘Well, thank you, Jamie. Open yours first, Arthur…’<br/>
‘Don’t mind if I do!’ Opening the box, Mr Weasley marvelled at the sight of the Muggle artefact. ‘I can’t believe it… Do you know what this is?!’<br/>
‘Not at all…’ Charlie shook his head.<br/>
‘I thought Muggles might keep their valuables in it…’ Jamie said.<br/>
‘An excellent guess, but this is a genuine Muggle Toastit! Thank you, Jamie. I’ve been wanting one of these for quite a long time.’<br/>
‘I don’t like encouraging Arthur’s obsession with Muggle artefacts… But I do enjoy seeing that smile on his face,’ Molly admitted.<br/>
‘Open your present, mum,’ Bill encouraged.<br/>
‘You boys didn’t have to get me anything…’<br/>
‘Yes you did,’ Arthur whispered into Charlie’s ear, making him chuckle.<br/>
Mrs Weasley opened the box, revealing the magenta wool Jamie and Rowan had acquired. ‘What beautiful wool. This colour is perfect for a jumper I’ve been meaning to knit for Ronald.’<br/>
‘You can also use it to organise your research,’ Rowan pointed out, excited.<br/>
‘I’ll keep that in mind, dear. Thank you. Now, let’s enjoy our time together…’</p><p>The Christmas Feast was full of laughter, joy, and the sound of magical Christmas crackers exploding; with the Weasley family and friends eating and talking about the holidays as they admired their gifts. In the middle of a conversation he was having with Penny, Jamie heard Merula’s voice call out to him from his left. ‘This party falls somewhere between awkward and dreadful…’<br/>
Jamie turned to face her, grinning from ear to ear. ‘Merula! I was hoping you’d change your mind…’<br/>
‘Just who is this little witch?’ Mrs Weasley asked, when she heard their talk.<br/>
‘Merula Snyde. The Most Powerful Witch at Hogwarts,’ Merula introduced herself with a smug face, as her classmates rolled their eyes at her usual line.<br/>
‘I wouldn’t be so sure about that,’ Molly said with a stern tone, before changing into a much friendlier one. ‘Wipe that scowl off of your face, and have something to eat, Merula.’<br/>
‘Oh, that reminds me!’ Jamie jumped up. ‘I’ve been waiting for the right time for a surprise. Something Merula taught me.’<br/>
As he took out his wand, he heard Merula whisper into his ear ‘Don’t make me look bad, Smith.’ Casting the Snowflake-Making Charm with ease above their heads, Jamie stepped back, admiring his work, as did the others. Snowflakes fell all around, softly landing on the ground where they disappeared.<br/>
‘It’s beautiful, Jamie,’ Molly congratulated.<br/>
‘Absolutely wonderful,’ Arthur agreed.<br/>
‘Thank you, Jamie!’ Rowan said, trying to catch a snowflake.<br/>
‘Happy Christmas!’ Penny said.<br/>
Jamie smiled at all the present people, thankful for their kindness. ‘Happy Christmas, everyone.’<br/>
Molly took out a package from her purse, walking over to Jamie. ‘I’d like to give you a little something too, Jamie. As long as you don’t mind hand-me-downs.’<br/>
‘I’ll be happy with anything you give me, Mrs Weasley.’<br/>
The mother of seven handed him the package, explaining ‘This winter outfit used to belong to Bill, but he’s outgrown it.’<br/>
Bill nodded enthusiastically. ‘I didn’t really want to give it up to be honest. It’s quite cosy.’<br/>
‘Thank you, Mrs Weasley. I could use a winter outfit,’ Jamie said, opening it and trying on the coat, finding it suited him quite nicely.<br/>
‘You’re very welcome, dear.’<br/>
‘I’ll take good care of it. Happy Christmas!’<br/>
‘Happy Christmas, Jamie. Welcome to the family.’</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Tulip Karasu</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>‘We were right about the Black Quill at the Three Broomsticks really being my brother’s notebook, but it’s in some sort of code.’ Jamie told Rowan in private, near the end of the Christmas Holidays, after explaining how he managed to get the notebook. ‘Do you think you can decipher it, Rowan?’<br/>
Looking through the pages in the notebook, Rowan said ‘Merlin’s beard! This looks exactly like the secret message we found in that frozen room our first year at Hogwarts! Do you think your brother left that message too?’<br/>
‘Jacob was hunting the Cursed Vaults. Now we’re following his trail. Maybe he wants me to follow him, so he’s leaving me clues. You deciphered the last message, so you should be able to work out this one too, right?’<br/>
‘Yes, but a lot of these symbols are different. I’ll need your help to research the answer…’<br/>
‘Gladly!’</p><p>The rest of the holidays they went through the notebook, taking notes and translating the runes in a separate piece of parchment. The last day of the break, after writing down the last few letters, Rowan cried out ‘I worked out the code!’<br/>
‘What does it say?’<br/>
‘"These Boggarts must have something to do with the curse protecting the next vault, which means someone found it first. If I don’t hurry, Hogwarts is doomed,”‘ Rowan read. ‘Someone must have tampered with that vault again, Jamie. We have to find your brother’s secret room! I can decipher the rest of the notebook, but you should take someone with you…’<br/>
Reading over a translated page with directions around the castle, Jamie nodded. ‘Bill knows the castle better than anyone I know. He can help me find that room…’</p><p>Bill and Jamie stepped into an empty side corridor in the East Wing. Bill turned to his friend, asking ‘How did you find out about your brother’s secret room, Jamie?’<br/>
‘He kept records of his search for the Cursed Vaults. Madam Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks gave me his old notebook. Rowan helped me decipher it, and we found out that my brother was using this room for his research.’<br/>
Bill puffed his chest with pride. ‘We’ll find it, Jamie. Now that I’m a Prefect, I’ve been walking the corridors a lot to make sure no Gryffindors are misbehaving.’ Walking towards the door that the notes had lead them to, they found a strange lock with two parallel keyholes locking it. Bill examined it. ‘We should be able to use a spell to get past this lock…’<br/>
Jamie took out his wand. ‘No better spell to unlock something than the Unlocking Spell… <em>Alohomora!</em>‘ The lock didn’t click open.<br/>
‘It must be sealed with magic…’ noted Bill. ‘Let me give it a go… <em>Flipendo!</em>‘ Other than emitting a loud noise, the lock didn’t react. ‘It’s no use, Jamie…’<br/>
Looking closer, Jamie noticed something. ‘There’s something written on the padlock. “Property of Tulip Karasu.”‘<br/>
‘I’ve heard of Tulip Karasu. She’s a Ravenclaw in your year. She’s always in detention.’<br/>
‘Do you know where I can find her?’<br/>
Bill stroked his chin. ‘I know she spends a lot of time studying alone in the Transfiguration Classroom. We’ll need her help to get into this room…’</p><p>Indeed, as Bill had said, they found her in the Transfiguration Classroom during their first break from classes after Christmas. The redhead girl was currently focused on a parchment she was writing on. On the table next to the parchment sat a toad with a golden sphere tied to its back. ‘Excuse me, Tulip? Hi. I’m James Smith. I know your time is valuable and you’re probably very busy, but I really need your help.’<br/>
‘Little flower… smells so sweet, so soft and delicate,’ Tulip muttered, seemingly oblivious to their presence.<br/>
‘You didn’t mention that she’s so… interesting, Bill. Did you hear what I said, Tulip?’<br/>
Without looking away from the parchment, she replied ‘I’m very busy. Talk to Dennis until I’m finished.’<br/>
‘Who’s Dennis?’ asked Bill, looking around the room confused. As in response, the toad croaked loudly.<br/>
Jamie looked at it. ‘What is that?’<br/>
‘A toad. His name is Dennis.’<br/>
Jamie pointed at the golden sphere attached to it. ‘We know what a toad is. What’s the thing strapped to its back?’<br/>
It was Bill who answered. ‘As a Prefect and a Weasley, I can say with great confidence that it’s a Dungbomb.’<br/>
‘I don’t smell anything…’ Jamie said.<br/>
‘You will when it explodes… It’s primed!’ Bill stepped back.<br/>
‘Tulip, how do I disarm this Dungbomb?!’ Jamie asked, starting to sweat nervously.<br/>
‘I can’t just give you the answers to my test. I need to know that you’re worthy of my help…’</p><p>After a few stressful seconds of calming the toad and carefully tampering with the device with a Freezing Charm, Jamie stepped back, relieved and victorious. ‘I disarmed it!’<br/>
Tulip looked up at them. ‘I assumed you would. Disarming a Dungbomb is nothing compared to breaking the curse on a Cursed Vault. I was quite jealous, to be honest. I’ve always wanted to be told off in front of the entire school at a Welcoming Feast.’<br/>
‘I’m sure you’ll have a chance as well, but why would you want that?’<br/>
Tulip gave them a mischievous grin. ‘Because rules are made to be broken, and Hogwarts has far too many rules. You inspired me, James Smith. I knew I had to be the next one to open a Cursed Vault. I immediately scoured the castle for clues until I found the abandoned room Jacob Smith used to research the Vaults. When I found your brother’s room, I fashioned a lock with two keys, so no one else could find it. I kept one key, and agreed to give the other to my accomplice.’<br/>
‘Who is your accomplice?’<br/>
Tulip went silent. After a few seconds, she spoke in a quiet tone. ‘I need to know I can trust you before I tell you that, James Smith. Meet me in the Great Hall during lunch.’</p><p>Before lunch, however, Jamie had to go to Potions Class. After the long and gruelling class passed, and as Jamie was putting his book and quill back in his bag, Barnaby approached him. ‘Merula told me to spy on you,’ he said, with a strangely proud face.<br/>
‘Isn’t the most important part of being a spy not telling your target that you’re a spy?’ Jamie pointed out, mockingly.<br/>
‘Is it? I hardly remember anything I learned in Spying Class,’ Barnaby asked genuinely, much to Jamie’s amusement. ‘Merula says you’re mad and evil, but you seem quite nice…’<br/>
‘Merula is a liar. Why are you helping her?’<br/>
‘I don’t want to, but she promised to make me the most powerful wizard at Hogwarts. I don’t have a choice, do I?’<br/>
‘We always have a choice, Barnaby. You can find other ways to get more powerful. Get away from Merula, and I promise you your life at Hogwarts will improve.’ Jamie chose his words carefully, trying his best not to sound manipulative. While he wasn’t lying, Barnaby’s well-being was not his priority, but getting him out of the way was in Jamie’s best interest.<br/>
Barnaby looked deep in thought. ‘I never thought about it that way…’<br/>
‘I don’t want to be your enemy, but if I catch you spying on me, you’ll answer to my wand,’ Jamie warned.<br/>
Barnaby smiled. ‘You don’t want to fight me, Smith. I’ve never lost a duel.’<br/>
‘You’re right, I don’t. I have more important things to do…’ Jamie left the classroom without letting Barnaby have the last word.</p><p>Walking into the Great Hall at dinner time, a Slytherin sat on the Ravenclaw table in front of Tulip Karasu, who immediately asked ‘Why should I work with you, James Smith?’<br/>
‘Because I have information you don’t. We can help each other.’<br/>
‘You make a fair point…’<br/>
‘Give me a chance. Trust me enough to tell me about your accomplice.’<br/>
Tulip raised an eyebrow. ‘It’s not that simple, James Smith. You have to earn my trust to learn my secrets. Why should I trust you?’<br/>
‘We’re after the same thing, so I can help you. Not just “can”, but rather “need to”.’<br/>
‘But I might betray you…’<br/>
‘You’re too smart for that.’<br/>
Tulip gave out a laugh. ‘I’m starting to like you, James Smith. But tell me, what if we get detention?’<br/>
‘Smart as we are, that won’t happen.’<br/>
‘So confident in your wits, are you? Tell me, why do you break the rules?’<br/>
‘I can’t let the rules stop me from finding my brother. And, to quote a certain smart witch, “rules are meant to be broken”.’<br/>
Tulip sighed. ‘I suppose I trust you enough to tell you who my accomplice was.’<br/>
‘Then tell me. Who’s your accomplice?’<br/>
‘Merula Snyde.’<br/>
‘I thought you were too smart to trust Merula,’ Jamie chuckled, internally reconsidering his faith in Tulip.<br/>
‘Merula is a genius witch. You might not like her personality, but you have to acknowledge her skill,’ Tulip defended, and Jamie begrudgingly nodded. ‘That being said, Merula and I had an unfortunate falling out, but she still has one of the keys to your brother’s room. The question of course is, how do we get Merula’s key?’<br/>
Jamie smirked, knowing exactly what Tulip wanted to hear. ‘I’ll trick her. Merula thinks she’s cleverer than she really is.’<br/>
‘It’s not a bad idea, but you’ll need some help… Give me time to come up with the best plan, and we’ll get Merula’s key together. Wait for my owl, James Smith. I’ll come up with something to turn Hogwarts on its head…’</p><p>Two days later, Jamie received the expected owl, and went to meet Tulip in the Courtyard. Merula and her gang were there as well, in a corner of the Courtyard. Tulip smiled maliciously when she saw Jamie catch up to her. ‘You made it. Good. Merula is over there, holding court.’<br/>
‘Did you come up with a way to get back the key to my brother’s room?’<br/>
‘Yes, but her cronies Ismelda and Barnaby are tough and ruthless. We need to watch them, and come up with a proper plan.’ She turned to eavesdrop on the trio, as did Jamie.</p><p>‘We’ve searched everywhere! We’re never going to find a Cursed Vault!’ Merula was complaining to her companions.<br/>
‘We should cast the Cruciatus Curse on James Smith and his friends. Torture makes everyone talk,’ Ismelda proposed.<br/>
Surprisingly for Jamie, Merula was as disgusted at the idea as any normal person would be. ‘Talking to you is torture. You have some serious issues, Ismelda.’<br/>
Barnaby spoke up. ‘We should ask Dumbledore. He’s really smart.’<br/>
‘Dumbledore spent half his welcome speech telling us to stay away from the vaults,’ Merula pointed out, losing her patience.<br/>
‘We could give him Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans. I heard he likes Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans,’ Barnaby doubled down, oblivious to Merula’s impatience.<br/>
‘Sometimes I wonder if your brain was replaced with a Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Bean.’</p><p>Tulip turned to Jamie, holding back laughter. ‘Do you think we should get rid of Merula’s cronies first, or go straight for Merula?’<br/>
‘We’re never going to get to Merula unless we take care of Ismelda and Baraby first. Although, it sounds like she’ll take care of them herself one of these days…’<br/>
‘Smart thinking, James Smith. There may be hope for you yet. Merula’s cronies sound too stupid and violent to respond to reason, or even brute force. We need a diversion to lure Barnaby and Ismelda away from her.’<br/>
‘But how?’<br/>
‘I’ve never been working on a plan to chase off Merula’s cronies with the Ultimate Dungbomb, but I’ll need your help. First, I’ll need Stinksap from Herbology Class. We’ll also need <em>Duro</em>, the Hardening Charm, to give the shell of the Dungbomb some heft. Finally, the Banishing Charm, <em>Depulso</em>. It will send my Ultimate Dungbomb flying right into Merula’s lap. We’ll need one final item to complete our plan. It may take some time to locate, but I’ll let you know when I’ve found it. Be ready, James Smith. We’ll only get one attempt at this…’</p><p>Working to get a Jumbo Dungbomb from Bilton Bilmes was being… less than fun for Jamie, over the next few weeks. The shop owner sent him to collect a rare barrel of Butterbeer from the Three Broomsticks, and when Jamie finished his task he was more than relieved to receive a message from Rowan about a possible new clue to the Vaults. Meeting him in the Slytherin Common Room, Jamie asked him ‘You said you found something on my bed?’<br/>
‘Yeah, it’s weird! It just appeared there. I didn’t open it in case it was private. Or cursed,’ Rowan explained with a concerned face, handing him the letter.<br/>
‘Only one way to find out…’ Jamie opened the seal, and read the parchment inside. ‘"Dear James Smith. You are in grave danger. Your investigation into the Cursed Vaults has drawn the attention of a group who is not to be trifled with. Be careful, but remain courageous. I’m depending on you to reach the final vault before the others. I will assist you when I can. I hope that the next time I deliver you a message, the circumstances are far less mysterious. Sincerely, a friend.”‘<br/>
‘Who do you think wrote the letter?’<br/>
Many thoughts went through Jamie’s head, each one less plausible than the last. ‘I have several theories, but I’m not sure about any of them. But I don’t have time to worry about a letter from no one. I need to get some items to Zonko’s, and get the Jumbo Dungbomb for Tulip. When I get the key to my brother’s room from Merula, we’ll be one step closer to solving all of these mysteries…’</p><p>Finally, the day had come. Jamie and Tulip spied on Merula’s gang in the Courtyard after getting everything they needed. Tulip was sneaking against a pillar, her masterpiece of a Dungbomb on the snow near her foot. ‘There they are. Shh!’<br/>
‘But I didn’t say anyth-’<br/>
‘SSHHHHHH! The slightest sound could trigger my Ultimate Dungbomb. Now’s our chance, James Smith. Use the Hardening Charm on my Ultimate Dungbomb.’<br/>
Tracing a “D” with his wand, Jamie pointed it at the bomb. ‘<em>Duro!</em>‘ The shell turned dark grey.<br/>
‘Good. Be ready to send it flying…’ said Tulip.<br/>
They overheard Ismelda talking. ‘I’m casting the Killing Curse on the next Gryffindor I see…’<br/>
Merula scoffed. ‘You don’t even know the Killing Curse.’<br/>
‘I accidentally sat on a Bowtruckle once,’ Barnaby said.<br/>
Ismelda looked at him confused. ‘What does that have to do with anything?’<br/>
‘I thought we were talking about killing things…’<br/>
‘I hate you both,’ Merula muttered, fed up with their rambling.</p><p>‘Now, James Smith!’ Tulip whispered.<br/>
With a swift wave of his wand and a whisper, Jamie sent the Ultimate Dungbomb right into the middle of the trio, who looked at it surprised and confused.<br/>
‘What kind of creature is that?’ asked Barnaby.<br/>
Ismelda shrugged. ‘I don’t even know what that is. Let’s kill it!’<br/>
Right then and there, the Dungbomb exploded, covering them in a greenish cloud of unbreathable air. ‘It’s some sort of Dungbomb…’ Merula tried to say, coughing and covering her nose.<br/>
‘I can’t breathe!’ Barnaby cried.<br/>
‘This smell…! Run!’ Ismelda managed to say before sprinting away.<br/>
She and Barnaby ran away, and Merula was left alone. ‘Get back here, you cowards!’ she yelled at them.</p><p>Jamie and Tulip came out of hiding to confront her. Merula looked at them with fury in her violet eyes. ‘I should have known it was you…’<br/>
Covering her nose, Tulip replied ‘Give us the key, Merula. I don’t know how long I can stand your stink.’<br/>
‘<em>Us</em>? You weren’t good enough for me, so you had to work with Smith?’ She looked at the boy with a sneer. ‘Tell me, how does it feel to know I found your brother’s room before you?’<br/>
After everything they had gone through, Jamie still wanted to give her a chance to work together. ‘Work with us, Merula. We’ll give you whatever we find in the next vault.’<br/>
‘Are you trying to trick me, Smith? I don’t want to work with you. I want a rematch.’<br/>
‘Again with this?!’<br/>
‘If you can beat me again, I’ll give you the key…’ Merula goaded him.<br/>
There seemed to be no other choice for Jamie. Begrudgingly, he positioned himself in his duelling stance, and Merula did the same.<br/>
Knowing the sneaky witch’s favourite spell, he easily dodged the <em>Flipendo</em> she sent at him, casting the Fire-Making Spell at her lower robe, creating a puddle from the melting snow. She dodged the flame, yelling ‘<em>Immobulus!</em>‘. The spell missed Jamie’s arm by an inch, as he used her signature spell against her, hitting her in the leg. She fell to her knees, and before she could get up, he used the Freezing Charm on her, just as she had tried to do to him before, but with more results. She froze in place, giving him the perfect opportunity to use <em>Expelliarmus</em> to relieve her of her wand. Picking it up from the snowy ground, he undid the Freezing Charm, freeing her. ‘I won, Merula. Again. Now give me the key.’<br/>
Merula’s face was a mix of anger and embarrassment, as she took out a key from a pocket and threw it at his feet. ‘Shut up and take it. I already got what I needed from that loser’s room anyway.’<br/>
Jamie threw her wand back at her. ‘We could still use your help, Merula.’<br/>
‘I don’t help traitors!’ she yelled, stomping out of the Courtyard. Before she left, she turned and gave him a furious warning. ‘Watch this one, Smith. It’s only a matter of time before she stabs you in the back.’<br/>
Once she left, Tulip celebrated their victory. ‘Mission accomplished, James Smith. Get ready to enter your brother’s room, and wait for my signal…’</p><p>About a month had passed, and Bill Weasley sat in the Three Broomsticks with a long face and slumped shoulders. His friend Jamie took the seat in front of him when he arrived at the pub, worried about his friend’s state of mind. ‘Is everything okay, Bill? Your letter said you needed to discuss something important.’<br/>
Bill sat straight, asking ‘How are you in the way of romance, Jamie?’<br/>
‘Excuse me?’<br/>
‘I’m obsessed with this girl named Emily Tyler,’ Bill confessed. ‘She’s not only beautiful, but in Defense Against the Dark Arts, she single-handedly Stupefied an entire swarm of vampire bats! What should I do?’<br/>
Jamie thought about it for a moment before answering ‘Just ask her how she feels.’<br/>
‘You make it sound so simple… Maybe we can chat about Emily over a butterbeer…’</p><p>Jamie listened to his friend talk about his crush over their drinks, offering the best advice he could give given his lack of expertise in the subject (or even basic experience). By the end, Bill didn’t seem any more convinced to talk to her. ‘I think it would be best if you just talked to Emily for me.’<br/>
‘I’ve never seen you this timid before, Bill.’<br/>
‘I’ve never been in love before.’<br/>
The reply took Jamie by surprise. ‘You’re in love?!’<br/>
‘Am I? I don’t even know anymore. What is happening to me?!’<br/>
Shocked, Jamie could do nothing but laugh. ‘Don’t worry, Bill. I’ll talk to Emily for you…’</p><p>In the middle of the Courtyard, sitting at the fountain, a sixth year girl dressed in pink matched the description Bill had given Jamie. If that was Emily, Jamie could see why Bill was smitten, at least from appearance alone. Jamie approached her, thinking of every possible way to make the situation less awkward. ‘Excuse me. Are you Emily Tyler?’<br/>
The girl looked at him, seemingly recognizing him, and nodded. ‘I am. And you’re that Cursed Vault kid, James Smith was it? What can I do for you?’<br/>
‘Well, I’m a friend of Bill Weasley’s…’<br/>
‘Okay…’<br/>
‘<em>Here goes nothing</em>‘, thought Jamie. ‘He fancies you, and wants to know how you feel about him,’ Jamie fired as quickly as possible.<br/>
She apparently didn’t expect that, seeing her shocked reaction. ‘Bill Weasley fancies me? I don’t believe it.’<br/>
‘It’s true. I haven’t seen him this frazzled since he was trapped in the cursed ice.’<br/>
Her expression changed to a big smile. ‘I’ll look like a fool if this is some sort of joke. Tell me every single thing that Bill said he likes about me.’<br/>
‘Merlin’s pants, romance is even more complicated than Advanced Arithmancy…’ muttered Jamie before complying with her request. Recalling everything Bill had said in the Three Broomsticks, he talked while she listened, giggling from time to time.<br/>
When he was finished, she commented ‘I still cannot believe that Bill Weasley fancies me…’<br/>
‘Believe it, then. He’s usually always tough and cool, but he’s an absolute mess because of you.’<br/>
‘What a prat,’ she said with a scoff, rolling her eyes.<br/>
‘Excuse me?’ Jamie hoped he had heard her wrong.<br/>
‘I mean, he’s reasonably handsome, but why would anyone ever date a Weasley?’<br/>
Jamie scowled. ‘You’re talking about my friend,’ he warned her.<br/>
‘Your friend is poor, ill-mannered, and completely delusional if he ever thought he had a chance with me. Tell Bill I said thank you for sharing his feelings. If nothing else, it was good for a laugh.’<br/>
That was the last straw for Jamie before snapping. ‘Bill must just be attracted to your looks because your personality is disgusting.’<br/>
‘You don’t know anything about me,’ she replied with a sneer.<br/>
‘And you don’t know anything about Bill. If you did, you’d know that he’s kind, thoughtful, and always puts others before himself. In other words, he’s everything you aren’t. I’m just glad I can tell him now before he wastes his time on some snobbish twit.’ Jamie stood up, storming out of the Courtyard after telling her off, and in search of Bill.</p><p>He found him in Hogsmeade, again in the Three Broomsticks. Sitting at the table Bill was at, Bill greeted him with a smile. ‘Hey, Jamie! How did it go with Emily?’<br/>
‘You might want to put your wand down for this…’<br/>
‘What do you mean?’<br/>
‘Well, Emily-’<br/>
‘Isn’t she brilliant? And beautiful. And kind. And-’<br/>
‘Bill, I have to tell you something. Emily isn’t interested in you.’<br/>
Bill’s smile faded. ‘Oh…’<br/>
‘You can do so much better than her, Bill,’ Jamie tried to console him.<br/>
‘What do you mean? She’s perfect.’<br/>
‘A perfect twat, perhaps. She’s mean, and arrogant. And just generally terrible. I’m starting to reconsider my opinion on Merula after just one conversation, Emily’d give her a run for her money.’<br/>
Bill looked down at his butterbeer, utterly destroyed. ‘You’re sure she doesn’t like me?’<br/>
‘She made it quite clear.’<br/>
‘What did I do wrong?’<br/>
‘You didn’t do anything wrong, Bill.’<br/>
‘Feels like I did everything wrong…’<br/>
‘Trust me, it’s all her. Give it some time, and you’ll see that you deserve much better.’ Jamie continued to comfort his friend, as they drank away the evening.</p><p>When they were leaving the pub, Bill seemed a bit more cheerful. ‘Thanks for the talk, Jamie. Getting rejected hurt more than I thought it would, but I feel a bit better.’<br/>
‘You just haven’t found the right person yet,’ Jamie assired him with a pat on the back.<br/>
‘I suppose you’re right. Hopefully, I’m meant for someone who will appreciate me for who I am.’ He gave Jamie a weak smile. ‘Thank you for talking to Emily, and being honest with me.’<br/>
Jamie gave him an encouraging smile in return. ‘Of course, Bill. That’s what friends are for.’</p><p>Late one freezing night, when it was nearing curfew, Tulip and Jamie met in front of Jacob’s room, each with a key in their hand. Before they unlocked the padlock, Jamie posed the question that had been going on around his head for the last few days. ‘What did Merula mean when she said that she already took what she wanted from my brother’s room?’<br/>
Tulip frowned, apparently angry at the mention of the Slytherin. ‘She’s lying. We used his room to study the vaults because it was full of valuable information and research, but there was nothing worth taking. At least, I don’t think there was…’<br/>
Jamie took a deep breath. ‘It’s strange. I haven’t felt this close to my brother since he disappeared…’<br/>
Tulip looked at him, with a worried look. ‘Are you sure you want to do this, James Smith? You might not like what you find…’<br/>
‘Yes! I want to see where he did his research. It could help me figure out what he was thinking and feeling, and help me find him.’<br/>
‘In that case…’ Tulip handed him her key. ‘Here’s my key. Do the honours…’ Jamie took both keys, and unlocked the lock with them. Opening the door with a creaking sound, they stepped inside the dark room, the door closing behind them.</p><p>‘Is there a light inside my brother’s room? I can’t see anything…’ Jamie commented, peering into the darkness. Tulip didn’t answer. Panicking, Jamie tried to reach out with his arm towards where Tulip should be. ‘Tulip? Where are you?’</p><p>A figure rose from nothingness in the middle of the room, visible only because of the reddish aura around his robe. With equally red eyes, the figure had no nose but snake slits, and its skin was white as snow. The Dark Lord stood before the teens, with an evil grin on his snake-like face. Jamie stepped back, bumping into the door, muttering ‘V-V-Vold...!’</p><p>He felt someone grab his right arm, and heard Tulip at his side yelling ‘Run, Smith! RUN!’ Rushing out of the room, they locked the door with the padlock behind them, breathing heavily. Trying to collect his thoughts, Jamie mumbled ‘How… How was that possible? Vol- You-Know-Who… he’s dead!’<br/>
‘That must have been your Boggart. Hogwarts is crawling with them these days…’ Tulip said.<br/>
Jamie remembered the first Herbology Class they had this year. ‘Professor Sprout cast a spell, <em>Riddikulus</em>, that changed a Boggart into something that isn’t scary.’<br/>
Tulip nodded. ‘I’ll find out how to cast that spell, so we can get rid of the Boggart, and get back into that room.’ Calming down a bit more, she asked Jamie ‘Why is your Boggart You-Know-Who, James Smith?’<br/>
Before he could answer, Professor Snape’s voice interrupted them. ‘Tulip Karasu… James Smith… I should have known I’d find you two here.’ He looked at Jamie with a scowl. ‘Your brother was the most disobedient student Hogwarts has seen since James Potter. You may have overtaken him. Stay away from this corridor, and give up your search for the vaults, or I will see to it that you share his fate.’ After giving the warning, the Potions Professor turned around and walked down the corridor.</p><p>‘Now what do we do?’ asked Tulip.<br/>
‘We need to learn <em>Riddikulus</em>, but we can’t wait to learn it in Defense Against the Dark Arts.’<br/>
‘If we ever learn it. This year’s Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is even worse than last year’s.’<br/>
‘I bet we can find a book with the spell in the Hogwarts Library. Shouldn’t be too difficult for a Ravenclaw like yourself.’</p><p>Searching for information on <em>Riddikulus</em> at the Library the next day was easy enough, and having found the scroll they needed, Jamie and Tulip were planning to try it on a Boggart. Before they left the Library, Tulip asked again ‘Why did your Boggart take the form of The Dark Lord?’<br/>
Jamie went pale, remembering the figure in Jacob’s room. ‘You-Know-Who killed dozens… Like Lily and James Potter - murdered them in cold blood. He tried to kill their son too! An innocent baby… Who could be capable of something so horrible?’<br/>
Madam Pince approached them. ‘I heard what you said, quite loudly, about the Potters.’<br/>
Jamie looked at the ground, fiddling with his hands. ‘I’m sorry, Madam Pince. I know I’m supposed to be quiet.’<br/>
‘James and Lily were always studying in those seats there. It’s no surprise they became Head Boy and Head Girl.’ While her voice was stern, Madam Pince’s face showed a compassionate smile. ‘It’s rather thoughtful of you to remember them. Ten points to Slytherin.’<br/>
‘Thank you, Madam Pince!’<br/>
‘Shh!’ the librarian shushed him, and returned to her desk.</p><p>Having found the information they needed, Tulip lead Jamie through the castle, into the Artefact Room. ‘If we’re going to get inside your brother’s room, you need to learn the Boggart-Banishing Charm. I’ll teach it to you, and we’ll test it on my Boggart. Ben Copper swears he heard one somewhere in this room…’ Tulip looked around the Artefact Room. ‘Are you sure you’re ready to face another Boggart?’<br/>
Jamie nodded with determination. ‘I’m ready. I have to get into that room to find the next vault, and work out what happened to my brother.’<br/>
‘You’re as brave as they come, James Smith. I’m glad to have you as my new partner in pranking and curse-breaking,’ Tulip complimented him with a smile. Getting serious, she continued. ‘When the time comes, I’ll stand in front of the Boggarts. It will assume the shape of whatever I fear most. When you cast the <em>Riddikulus</em> spell, the Boggart will change into a form you envision, one that is-well-ridiculous. But the spell isn’t what defeats the Boggart. Laughter defeats it. So no matter what happens, you have to laugh.’<br/>
‘I’m ready. Teach me the Boggart-Banishing Charm…’</p><p>As Tulip went through the motions with Jamie, she taught him everything she had read about the spell. When Jamie felt he had the hang of it, he looked at the locked cabinet the Boggart was probably hiding in. ‘I think I’ve got it…’<br/>
‘Good. Open that locked cabinet. And be ready…’<br/>
Jamie pointed his wand at the cabinet. ‘<em>Alohomora!</em>‘ The cabinet door flung open, and from within came… Merula. Though not in her usual look. Her robes were tattered and dirty, and her usual violet eyes had no white nor pupils, they were just violet orbs. Her usual eye shadow was runny, as if she had been crying. She was looking directly at Tulip. Jamie took a step back, shocked by the Boggarts form. ‘Merula?!’<br/>
The Merula-Boggart spoke, her voice distorted. ‘I was your friend, Tulip. Your only friend. You betrayed me… You’re a liar! A thief! A fraud! No wonder your parents sent you away! I hate you! You’ll never have any friends! NEVER!’<br/>
Tulip looked at Jamie, terrified. ‘What are you waiting for, Smith?! Cast the spell!’<br/>
‘<em>Riddikulus!</em>‘ Jamie pointed his wand at Merula, concentrating on the most absurd version of her he could come up with in his head. The Boggart changed into another Merula, this time with her hair straightened and with a green lace on it. She was wearing a white cardigan with pink flowers, a green skirt, and long, white socks with frills over black leggings. ‘Hi!’ she greeted, in an extremely high-pitched voice.<br/>
‘Oh my…’ Jamie muttered. He wasn’t sure if it was any less terrifying, especially if the real Merula were to find out somehow.<br/>
‘I love rainbows, and unicorns, and kittens, and lollies! Do you love rainbows, and unicorns, and kittens, and lollies?’ the Boggart asked.<br/>
Tulip started laughing. ‘Wow…’<br/>
‘Rainbows! Unicorns! Kittens! Lollies! Yay!’<br/>
‘This is too much!’ Jamie bent over, unable to contain his laughter any more. Roaring with laughter, both teens saw the Boggart disappear.<br/>
‘Well done, James Smith! You defeated a Boggart!’<br/>
‘In a way that was just as frightening as You-Know-Who… I’m not sure I made it any better, but it worked well enough, I suppose. I hope my Boggart ends up equally hilarious. Or, you know, at least as ridiculous compared to the original as this one. But Tulip… Why was your Boggart Merula?’<br/>
‘I suppose I’ll have to explain. Let’s get out of here, and talk about it in the Great Hall…’</p><p>Sitting down to have dinner, Jamie repeated his question. ‘I don’t understand why your Boggart would be Merula. Why would she be your biggest fear?’<br/>
‘It’s complicated, James Smith. It’s really not about her. It’s about everything I did to her. And everything that was done to me… I’m not sure I’m ready to explain.’<br/>
‘Come on, Tulip. After everything we’ve gone through, I think you can trust me. Let’s just talk, I’ll prove it to you...’<br/>
‘But to explain my Boggart, I would have to explain my past, and I don’t think I’m ready to do that. You wouldn’t understand…’<br/>
‘I don’t understand? You’re not the only one with a difficult past, Tulip.’<br/>
‘I know, but in this case, it was all my fault.’<br/>
‘We’ve all made mistakes, Tulip. I’m no better than you, trust me.’<br/>
Tulip looked at him in the eyes, with a stern gaze. ‘But have you betrayed someone?’<br/>
Holding her gaze, Jamie thought about it. ‘I feel like I betrayed my brother… But don’t tell anyone,’ he whispered. ‘I trust you to keep that our little secret, if you don’t mind.’<br/>
Tulip seemed taken aback by the sudden confession. ‘Thanks for listening, and telling me about your own past, James Smith.’<br/>
‘So, why was Merula your biggest fear?’<br/>
‘No one knows this, but Merula and I were friends from the minute we arrived at Hogwarts. Her parents are in Azkaban for serving The Dark Lord. They were never around. She’s used to doing whatever she wants. My parents both work for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. My whole life has been rules. But, when I came to Hogwarts, I was finally free to rebel. Merula and I started in opposite places, but we ended up the same. We learned magic together, broke rules together, and played tricks together. Then we heard about the Cursed Vaults. We made it our mission to find them first. To show everyone just how powerful we could be.’ She looked down, ashamed. ‘But I betrayed her… I hid the clues I found from her, and used what I found behind her back. I wanted all the glory for myself. When she found out, we fought. We decided that if both of us couldn’t have access to Jacob Smith’s room, no one could. We got the lock with two keys, took one each, and went our separate ways. I’d avoided her until you took her key back.’ She sighed. ‘She’s right to hate me. She’s right that I’ll never have any friends because I don’t deserve them. I’m not afraid of Merula. I’m afraid of betraying anyone else who tries to be my friend…’<br/>
‘Everyone makes mistakes, Tulip. I’d be glad to be your friend.’<br/>
Tulip smiled. ‘Thanks, James Smith. Enough of my moping. Let’s get into your brother’s room, and find the next Cursed Vault.’</p><p>Returning to the dark room, Jamie and Tulip stepped inside once more. Unable to see anything, Jamie pondered ‘Maybe the Boggart is gone. I’ll just cast <em>Lumos</em> so we can…’ </p><p>Before he could finish his sentence, Voldemort appeared again. ‘Be brave, James Smith!’ Tulip encouraged him.<br/>
‘I’m not afraid of you!’ snarled Jamie.<br/>
The Voldemort-Boggart raised a pale wand at them, muttering ‘<em>Avada-</em>‘<br/>
‘Now! Cast the spell!’ cried Tulip.<br/>
Focusing on his mental image of a defeated Boggart, Jamie pointed at it with his wand, and yelled ‘<em>Riddikulus</em>‘ The Boggart changed the black and green robes for a clown attire, a pink afro wig forming on its head. Voldemort’s pale face was covered with makeup, and the Boggart started to dance on the spot.<br/>
Tulip stared at it. ‘Oh, my... A clown?’<br/>
‘He’s You-Know-Oops! He Who Must Not Be Taken Seriously!’ Jamie said, unable to contain a grin.<br/>
They both laughed at the horrible pun more than at the Voldemort clown, but it worked nonetheless. The Boggart disappeared, leaving them alone in the dark.<br/>
‘That was… brilliant! Great work, James Smith. But did you seriously make him a clown just to make a pun?’<br/>
‘I mean, it wrote itself. But yes. I still think I might not have mastered the “make them less scary” part, but at least I can have a laugh. I can’t believe I defeated Vo- I mean, You-Know-Who. Well… a Boggart.’<br/>
‘Just like Harry Potter,’ Tulip mocked him.</p><p>Jamie peered again into the darkness of the room. ‘I can hardly see… <em>Lumos!</em>‘<br/>
They both lit up their wands, looking around the room. A cork board stood in the middle, with many papers and parchments stuck to it. More papers were scattered on the floor, and everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. ‘Look at this place. What a mess! The Boggart must have trashed it!’<br/>
‘Hate to say it, but this is what it looked like when we found it the first time. I think your brother was too focused on the Cursed Vaults to care about cleaning up. Personally, I rather enjoy chaos as an aesthetic.’<br/>
‘Come on, let’s have a look around. There must be something here that will lead us to the next vault…’ Rummaging through the room, they went over every paper and parchment that seemed interesting, until Jamie stumbled upon one that caught his attention. ‘Look at this note!’ He began reading ‘“When someone first tampered with the vault, there were more Boggarts in the Library than anywhere. The vaults must be there.” There are thousands of shelves in the Library, where could the entrance be?’<br/>
‘What should we do?’<br/>
Jamie gave himself a moment to think, deciding ‘I’ll send an owl to all of my friends, and ask them to help me search the entire Library until we find the next vault.’<br/>
Tulip nodded. ‘I’ll keep digging through this mess to see if I can find more clues. Come and tell me if you find anything…’</p><p>After sending messages to four of his friends, Jamie reunited with them in the Library. When he arrived, he heard Rowan talking to Bill. ‘So what’s it like being a Prefect, Bill? Have you given out a lot of House Points?’<br/>
‘We mainly take points away as punishment, to stop kids from acting like gits.’<br/>
‘I want to be a Prefect. Then I can become Head Boy! Then I can become the youngest professor in the history of Hogwarts!’<br/>
Penny punched him in the arm lightly. ‘Good luck, Rowan. I will try myself for Head Girl!’</p><p>Jamie reached his friends, with Bill greeting him first. ‘Jamie! There you are. We’ve been waiting for you.’<br/>
Jamie looked at all of his friends. ‘Thanks for coming. It’s good to see so many friendly faces.’<br/>
‘What can we do to help?’ asked Rowan.<br/>
‘My brother thought the next vault was somewhere in the Library.’<br/>
Penny asked, curious, ‘Really? How do we find it?’<br/>
‘I’ve used <em>Revelio</em> and <em>Reparifarge</em> to find hidden things before. Those spells might work here.’<br/>
‘Just be careful. We don’t want Madam Pince to catch us casting spells in the Library,’ Penny warned.<br/>
‘I will. Keep an eye out for any clues to the Cursed Vaults.’</p><p>Motioning to the others to reunite in a corner of the Library after a couple of hours of search, Jamie showed them a note he found stashed away in the dustier part of the Library. ‘I found an encoded note!’<br/>
Rowan took it, reading the message. ‘And it’s in the same code your brother used. Let me translate… “I’ve explored the entire Library. All that’s left to search is the Restricted Section.”‘<br/>
‘The Restricted Section! Of course! It’s a natural hiding place,’ Bill said.<br/>
‘That’s where they keep all of the books on Dark Magic. I’ve had dreams and nightmares about reading those books,’ Rowan commented with a shaky tone.<br/>
Ben looked spooked. ‘They say some of those books can jump right off the shelf and bite your face.’<br/>
‘You need a specially signed note from a teacher to look at the restricted books, otherwise we’d be in serious trouble,’ Penny pointed out.<br/>
Jamie scratched his chin. ‘We’ll need a plan. I’ll see if Tulip has any ideas…’</p><p>Going back to his brother’s room, he saw Merula standing in front of it. ‘Read any good books lately, Smith?’ she asked in mock interest.<br/>
The question couldn’t be a coincidence, thought Jamie. ‘Excuse me?’<br/>
‘I saw you in the Library. Looks like you’ve assembled a gang of your own. I suppose that you think that’s where you’ll find the next Cursed Vault…’<br/>
‘No, we were just studying…’ Jamie’s words dripped with sarcasm. ‘Why are you following me around and spying anyways? Are you jealous that Tulip is my friend now?’<br/>
Merula’s face formed a scowl, her eyes full of ire. ‘I don’t care about you or any of your stupid friends.’<br/>
Jamie shrugged. ‘Do whatever you need to do, Merula. I’ll go talk to my new friend, Tulip.’<br/>
‘I told you she’s going to stab you in the back, Smith. Next time we meet, I’m going to do something far worse…’<br/>
‘Now, now, Merula. Don’t go around making promises you can’t keep, or else I might feel hurt. See you around.’ He waved at her, and continued on his way, ignoring her scathing look.</p><p>Entering the room, he found it lit up. Light entered through the windows, and Tulip was waiting for him. ‘Be careful, James Smith. Merula is spying in the corridor.’<br/>
‘Oh, I’ve already had the pleasure to see her myself.’<br/>
‘I hope you didn’t tell her anything…’<br/>
‘Well…’ Jamie scratched the back of his neck, a bit ashamed. ‘Not technically, no. She suspects we think where the Vault is, the Library. We actually think it might be in the Restricted Section.’<br/>
‘I sneaked a book of pranks out of there once-nearly blew up the Owlery. One of my finer moments, if I say so myself,’ Tulip reminisced with nostalgia.<br/>
‘Did you find anything in my brother’s research?’<br/>
Tulip shook her head, scoffing. ‘Honestly, it’s such a mess, I’m still trying to get everything in some sort of order.’<br/>
Jamie looked around the room, which was still extremely messy. ‘There are pages scattered all over the room. I’ll try to find my brother’s notes…’</p><p>Searching through the room, this time much more easily thanks to the natural light that came from a small window, Jamie found an interesting note. ‘Tulip, I found something! This note must be from Jacob. It says, “The book opens the way.” The book… wait a second! Last year, inside the Cursed Vault, we found my brother’s broken wand and a book!’ He clapped his hands, everything clicking into place in his head. ‘I almost forgot about it because it seemed useless. It must somehow open the next vault!’<br/>
‘Excellent! Meanwhile, I think I have a solution to our Merula problem…’ Tulip formed one of her usual mischievous smiles. ‘Remember that boy who was helping Merula look for the vaults? Barnaby Lee?’<br/>
Jamie rolled his eyes, ‘Remember? You know I sleep in the same dorm as him, right? His snoring has been haunting me for almost three years now… Doesn’t seem the brightest wizard… by a long shot. But he seems nice. Too nice to be working for Merula…’<br/>
‘He’s also strong. Maybe the toughest wizard in our year. On top of that, he knows Merula better than anyone.’<br/>
‘What are you getting at?’<br/>
‘You should persuade him to join our cause. We could use his help, and it will make it easier to stay one step ahead of Merula. I know first-hand how tiresome it gets when Merula is ordering you around all day. I’m sure Barnaby is getting sick of it too,’ Tulip suggested, and when Jamie accepted to try her plan, she promised she would arrange for Barnaby to speak with Jamie during supper.</p><p>Jamie found the boy in the Great Hall during dinner. Barnaby walked up to him, and Jamie greeted him. ‘Barnaby Lee?’<br/>
‘I smell like a Dungbomb,’ he simply said, and he was right.<br/>
‘I appreciate the warning.’<br/>
‘I’ve had more baths since I got hit with that big Dungbomb than I’ve had in my whole life, but I still stink.’ Barnaby was getting angry.<br/>
‘<em>Not good,</em>‘ thought Jamie. ‘I’m sorry that happened…’<br/>
‘Tulip promised me a box of Peppermint Toads if I talk to you. What do you want?’<br/>
‘Do you like working for Merula?’ Jamie asked.<br/>
Barnaby looked confused. ‘I don’t work for her. We’re partners.’<br/>
‘Has she ever let you make a decision? Does she ever share her plans with you? Has she ever thanked you for anything?’<br/>
Barnaby stroked his chin as he tried to think. ‘No… No… I forgot what the last thing you said was.’<br/>
‘I want you to work with us instead of Merula, Barnaby.’<br/>
Barnaby frowned. ‘Why do you think I can help you?’<br/>
‘I know how hard it is to find and enter a Cursed Vault. I’ve heard you’re the most powerful wizard in our year.’ Jamie appealed to his ego, hoping he wouldn’t notice too much. Barnaby went quiet for a long moment. ‘Are you all right?’ asked Jamie, a bit concerned.<br/>
‘I’m thinking about your words...’<br/>
Jamie kept trying to convince him. ‘I won’t boss you around. I won’t call you names. I’m not like Merula. I just want your help. I need to find my brother.’<br/>
Slowly, Barnaby smiled. ‘I like you, Jamie.’<br/>
‘Oh, great!’ Jamie was ecstatic at the response.<br/>
‘We should fight!’<br/>
That response he didn’t receive as well. ‘What…?!’<br/>
‘I need you to prove I’m tough enough to help you, and you need to prove that you’re tough enough to be my new partner,’ Barnaby explained, quite proud of his own idea. ‘Meet me on the Training Grounds. If you beat me in a duel, I’ll ditch Merula, and help you enter the next vault.’</p><p>Just as he had promised Barnaby, Jamie met him on the Training Grounds the next morning. Barnaby waved at him when he saw Jamie approach. ‘I like you, Jamie. You’re nice. If you beat me in a duel, I’ll know you’re tough.’<br/>
‘And you’ll stop working with Merula, and help us find the next Cursed Vault?’<br/>
‘I’ll have to think about that.’<br/>
‘But it was your idea…’<br/>
‘Oh, right. Okay, I’ll do my idea then…’</p><p>They positioned themselves in their duelling stances, ready to begin. And Jamie was the first to strike. ‘<em>Flipendo!</em>‘ His spell hit Barnaby in the chest, but the boy didn’t even budge. It seemed like he had barely felt it. He didn’t even try to get out of the way. Barnaby fired back spells of his own, but Jamie’s speed wasn’t unimpressive. Dodging Barnaby’s spells wasn’t too difficult, but they had a lot of power behind them. If even one were to hit Jamie, it could very well be the end of the duel. Avoiding Barnaby’s spells and firing a few of his own to keep him entertained, Jamie started to think quickly. ‘<em>So I can’t topple him with Flipendo... I could try that spell I read about during summer… Might be worth a shot…</em>‘ he thought. Pointing his wand at Barnaby’s wand arm, Jamie yelled ‘<em>Carpe Retractum!</em>‘ An orange tendril shot out of his wand and wrapped itself around Barnaby’s wand arm, surprising the dueller. But Jamie had underestimated Barnaby’s sheer strenght, a mistake he discovered when Barnaby pulled the tendril towards himself. Jamie fell face first to the snow, rolling quickly to the side to avoid a spell that landed just where his head had been mere fractions of a second ago, blasting snow and dirt everywhere.</p><p>‘<em>So, that didn’t work. New plan.</em>‘ Jamie raised his wand, this time at Barnaby’s legs. ‘<em>Locomotor Wibbly!</em>’<br/>
The target’s legs took on the consistency of jelly, and Barnaby no longer had a stable support. Pointing at his shocked face, Jamie tried the Knockback Jinx again.<br/>
‘<em>Flipendo!</em>‘ With impressive accuracy, the jinx hit Barnaby in the nose, which combined with the immobilisation of his legs was enough to topple him backwards at last.</p><p>Jamie heard Barnaby groan. ‘I always thought you had to be mean to hurt someone that badly…’<br/>
‘Are you all right?’<br/>
The Jelly-Legs Curse wore off, and Barnaby stood back up, rubbing the back of his head. His nose seemed to be broken, and blood was dripping from it. ‘I’m fine. A few of us Slytherin start every day by hurting each other. They say it gets you in the right mindset.’<br/>
‘Well, you’re certainly tough, Barnaby. Will you help me get into the next Cursed Vault?’<br/>
‘As long as we celebrate our partnership with a butterbeer!’</p><p>Sitting down at the Three Broomsticks, Barnaby seemed in a much better mood. After the duel, Jamie fixed his nose with <em>Episkey</em>, and he had cleaned his face of the blood. ‘After a good duel, I always like a butterbeer. They say it heals bruises and broken bones!’ Barnaby said when they got their drinks.<br/>
‘Who says that?’<br/>
‘Can’t remember. I’m sure someone probably said it.’<br/>
‘Well, you just did, I guess. Tell me, how did you become friends with Merula?’<br/>
Barnaby shrugged. ‘We have a lot in common. Both of our parents were Death Eaters.’<br/>
‘Really?’<br/>
‘Why are you so surprised? Everyone knows Slytherins have the most interesting childhoods.’<br/>
Jamie chuckled, taking a sip from his drink. ‘Can’t argue there, so you might be right.’<br/>
‘Harry Potter will definitely be a Slytherin,’ Barnaby said with a confident smile.<br/>
‘We can only hope… Do you want to talk about what happened to your parents?’<br/>
Barnaby looked down with a deep frown. ‘You’ll probably think my whole family is mad…’<br/>
‘Try me. If anyone can relate, it’s me.’<br/>
‘Don’t you think I’m mad?’<br/>
‘Not at all. Even if I did, would it really be that bad if it were true?’<br/>
‘I suppose not… People usually don’t believe when I say I met The Dark Lord,’ Barnaby muttered.<br/>
Jamie’s eyes went wide as plates, and stammering he said ‘You really met him?! He Who Must Not Be Named?!’<br/>
Barnaby nodded. ‘I saw him. My dad met with him at our house when I was just a little kid.’<br/>
‘Where you scared?’<br/>
‘At first, but my dad admired him. He told me that if I could become as powerful as You-Know-Who, I could do anything. I’ve spent my entire life trying to get as strong as possible. Even after my dad was gone…’ Barnaby’s face dropped.<br/>
Jamie tried to comfort the boy. ‘Well, I know you’re strong, and I think you’re a good person. I’m glad you’re helping us instead of Merula.’<br/>
‘Is there anything I need to know? The earlier I know what I need to know, the better chance I’ll have of knowing it.’<br/>
‘I’ll send an owl when we’re ready for you, Barnaby. I’m heading back to meet Tulip, so she can tell me her plan to get into the vault.’</p><p>‘Welcome back, James Smith. Is Barnaby Lee on our side?’ Tulip greeted him when he entered Jacob’s room.<br/>
‘He made me beat him up in a duel, but he will help us when the time comes.’<br/>
‘Excellent. We’re going to need all the help we can get. We need to lure Madam Pince out of the Library, find the vault in the Restricted Section, and make sure Merula doesn’t interfere,’ Tulip summarized.<br/>
‘And that’s before we face whatever is inside the vault…’<br/>
‘Hopefully, Barnaby will be able to take care of Merula. How is your relationship with Madam Pince?’<br/>
Recalling the points Madam Pince had given him, he said ‘She thinks I’m thoughtful. I’d say she likes me. Sort of.’<br/>
‘We need to get her out of the Library to get into the Restricted Section. Someone will have to create a diversion. Who do you think will be best at getting rid of Madam Pince?’<br/>
‘Rowan is the best at anything having to do with books. He can use his knowledge to get Madam Pince away from her desk… The rest can keep watch for the professors, and warn us if they’re coming our way.’<br/>
‘Perfect. Get ready to enter the next vault while I make my final preparations… It might take a while, however.’</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Penny's Penfriend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Days passed, and Jamie knew nothing of how Tulip’s preparations were going; any questions he might ask the Ravenclaw during their shared Transfigurations lessons was shut down with a shushing noise frighteningly similar to that of Madam Pince. Not wanting to destroy this newfound alliance, he relented and stopped asking her whenever they crossed paths, instead focusing on his classwork to avoid suspicions from his teachers, especially Snape and McGonagall, shrewdest of all. Curiously, Professor Dumbledore was nowhere to be found most days, his seat empty at meals; and rumours ran wild that he was stopping Dark sorcerers around the world, or that he was riding dragons from country to country in search for the perfect sweet. Hilarious as they were, these rumours did not lift the tension the students felt almost daily; for each time they opened a cupboard or a wardrobe they feared a Boggart might jump out and scare them. It didn’t happen too often, but often enough that at least each one had some story of how they had run away from a Basilisk, or Voldemort, or even Dumbledore himself handing out “Troll” grades. The curse, however, didn’t seem as bad as the previous one, as Boggarts didn’t really pose any substantial physical danger to their victims.</p><p>It was in this strange climate that, one morning mid-term, a house-sized light blue carriage pulled by a dozen huge, golden, winged horses landed on the Hogwarts grounds; and a more cheery than usual Penny skipped over to the Slytherin table during lunch, arm in arm with a girl of her same age wearing pale blue robes of silk. Most heads in the hall turned at the sight of the strangely dressed girl, and whispers ran when some heard her accent in her conversation with Penny. The two girls made no notice of this, however, as they skidded to a halt in front of Jamie, who had watched as well. Penny wasted no time with the introductions, practically exploding with giddiness. ‘Jamie! You have to meet my penfriend, Aurélie Dumont!’<br/>
‘Bonjour!’ said the brunette girl at Penny’s side with a smile just as wide, waving at Jamie. A curious thing Jamie noticed was how similar she resembled Penny; not physically, though she did have blue eyes and pale skin, and was quite pretty, but in mannerisms and energy. It was like a French version of Penny at first glance, or first meeting.<br/>
‘She’s a student at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic!’ cried Penny excitedly. ‘She’s even a Potions whizz like me!’<br/>
‘Oh,’ simply said Jamie, a bit overwhelmed at Penny’s speedy delivery. Blinking a few times, he managed to say ‘Nice to meet you… I’m James Smith.’<br/>
‘I know,’ Aurélie said happily, adding ‘Penny has told me so much about you.’<br/>
‘Good things, I hope,’ said Jamie hastily.<br/>
Aurélie laughed. ‘But of course!’<br/>
Both Penny and Aurélie sat down next to Jamie, despite the weird looks some Slytherins gave them. Jamie asked politely ‘So… what brings you to Hogwarts?’<br/>
‘I…’<br/>
‘Aurélie is thinking of transferring from Beauxbatons to Hogwarts!’ cried Penny, clearly unable to hold herself. Somewhat sheepishly, she turned to her penfriend, and said ‘Sorry, I’m just so excited that I might get to go to school with you, Aurélie.’<br/>
‘Moi aussi, Penny,’ said Aurélie. ‘But before I make my decision, I want to see if ‘Ogwarts is right for me.’<br/>
‘I’m sure you’ll love it,’ said Jamie. ‘Penny is an excellent guide to Hogwarts.’<br/>
Penny’s face fell for a second, as if she’d just remembered something important, and said ‘Aurélie, do you mind if Jamie and I talk privately for a moment?’<br/>
If Aurélie sensed something was wrong, she did not show it as she said happily ‘It is not a problem, Penny. I will go and look around a bit.’<br/>
The exchange student stood up, going back to a group of Penny’s friends to mingle with. ‘What’s wrong, Penny?’ asked Jamie immediately, narrowing his eyes at his friend.<br/>
Penny murmured something that Jamie understood as “I told Aurélie you were going to show her around”, her head bowed low in shame.<br/>
‘Me?’ panicked Jamie at the sudden burden. ‘Why? Wouldn’t you rather do it?’<br/>
‘I really wish I could, but Aurélie’s visit is coming at a bit of a bad time… I’ve got an important Potions project that’s due soon. If I want to have any hope of turning it on time, I need to devote my entire focus to it.’<br/>
‘Have you tried asking Snape for an extension?’ asked Jamie jokingly.<br/>
‘Have you?’<br/>
‘Touché.’<br/>
‘Aurélie should make the most of her time at Hogwarts and experience everything there is to offer before she decides,’ Penny went on, now smiling. ‘She’s not going to get that watching me do schoolwork all day.’<br/>
‘I understand, but we hardly know each other…’<br/>
‘That’s nothing that a quick chat can’t fix,’ said Penny relentlessly.<br/>
‘Chatting’s really more your thing…’ said Jamie, but gave in. ‘Alright, I’ll talk to Aurélie…’<br/>
‘Great! I’ll go get her!’ Penny said, standing up in a flash and retrieving Aurélie, siting her with Jamie, and excusing herself to work on her project.</p><p>As it turned out, Aurélie was quite the conversationalist, much like Penny; though Jamie could see the differences between them the more they talked. Jamie warmed up to the idea of being a guide to an exchange student, and possibly learning more about Beauxbatons. When lunch was over, and as Potions was next on his timetable, Jamie took Aurélie with him and the rest of the Slytherins and Gryffindors to the dungeons, almost arriving late.<br/>
‘So this is the ‘Ogwarts Potions classroom,’ whispered Aurélie when they entered the dimly lit dungeon, shivering slightly. Her silk robes were clearly designed for a warmer climate, and this particular dungeon seemed to be one of the coldest places in the castle. ‘It is darker than I imagined… ‘Ow does one find anything in here?’<br/>
‘<em>Lumos</em> gets a lot of use here…’ joked Jamie as they sat down at the usual table, but he was nudged by a nervous Rowan.<br/>
‘There you are! I was worried you’d missed Potions!’<br/>
‘I knew a Potions class without Smith sounded too good to be true…’ said Merula with a leer.<br/>
‘Who’s this?’ asked Rowan curiously, ignoring Merula.<br/>
‘Rowan, Merula, this is Aurélie Dumont. She’s Penny’s penfriend from Beaxbatons Academy of Magic,’ introduced Jamie with a smile.<br/>
‘Pleased to meet you,’ said Aurélie pleasantly. ‘I am considering transferring to ‘Ogwarts, so Jamie is showing me around.’<br/>
‘Hogwarts is the best, you’re going to love it here!’ Rowan said cheerfully. ‘Are you looking forward to seeing anything in particular?’<br/>
‘Actually, I am quite interested in meeting your Potions professor.’<br/>
‘Professor Snape?’ asked Jamie in a whisper, frowning. ‘But we’re trying to leave you with a good impression of Hogwarts, and he’s a rather…’<br/>
An elbow on the ribs from Rowan told him that Snape was right by their table, silencing Jamie immediately. The professor had allowed the Slytherins to converse, but only for so long it seemed. With a nasty grin, Snape said coldly ‘Choose your next words very carefully, Smith.’<br/>
‘…a rather good ambassador for the Hogwarts teaching staff!’ finished Jamie, his voice an octave higher than usual.<br/>
‘Smooth,’ said Merula flatly, making Ismelda nearby snicker.<br/>
Snape looked at Aurélie, and then back at Jamie. ‘I assume you have a good reason for bringing a non-student to class.’<br/>
‘Actually, Professor, I was hoping Aurélie could stay and observe our lesson. You see, she’s…’<br/>
‘I am well aware of who she is,’ Snape cut him off. ‘What I’m not aware of is why that means you can break class rules. Your presence is bad enough, Smith. Why should I allow another distraction in my class?’<br/>
‘Because Aurélie was just saying how much she was looking forward to meeting you,’ said Jamie, this time sincerely. ‘I’m sure she’d love an opportunity to learn from you.’<br/>
‘Oui!’ said Aurélie. ‘I would be honoured to receive a lesson from an expert Potioneer like you, Monsieur Snape.’<br/>
‘You may have a change of heart once you see how difficult that lesson is,’ Snape jeered, but nodded. ‘Very well, you may stay and sit in on my class.’<br/>
‘Merci beaucoup, Monsieur Snape! Thank you!’</p><p>Snape walked back to the front of the room, near his desk, and flicked his wand at the blackboard, starting the lesson. It went by rather well, except for some of the Gryffindors, whom Snape bullied most of all. Aurélie seemed to follow the lesson without much difficulty, though she also looked rather bored. When Snape dismissed the class and they started to clean their cauldrons, Jamie asked her ‘You look disappointed, Aurélie. Was the class that bad?’<br/>
‘Au contraire, it was quite informative…’ said Aurélie. ‘It is just… How do I put this…? I had… hoped we would be studying alchemy in Potions. I love alchemy, and thought this was an opportunity to learn even more about it…’<br/>
‘Unfortunately, Aurélie, we don’t know much about alchemy…’ said Jamie, a bit saddened at disappointing her.<br/>
‘That is going to make things difficult…’ mused Aurélie, more to herself than to Jamie.<br/>
‘But Hogwarts has plenty of other interesting classes you can take right now!’ Rowan interjected excitedly, as they packed their cauldrons and left the classroom.<br/>
‘Rowan is right,’ Jamie agreed, and offered ‘We can go over them while we continue our tour of the grounds.’<br/>
Aurélie accepted, and the three of them walked up the stairs to the Entrance Hall, and then turned their feet to the courtyard, while showing Aurélie around. Rowan was just talking about his favourite reading spots around the castle when they arrived. ‘And the fountain here is a great reading spot… Oh, and in the autumn, there’s a pear tree that grows delicious pears!’<br/>
‘I see…’ Aurélie said quietly with a small nod. She still seemed troubled, and she confirmed this by admitting ‘Je suis désolée, Jamie, I am sorry. I am upset we will not learn more about alchemy…’<br/>
‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ said Jamie kindly. ‘Would you like to hear about the other classes offered here? You might find something else you’re interested in.’<br/>
Aurélie nodded again, though still looking disinterested. Jamie and Rowan talked about the core classes and the electives they had chosen, and the ones they hadn’t, but Aurélie’s mood did not seem to improve much. ‘Well, Aurélie? Did any of those classes sound interesting to you?’ asked Jamie hopefully. Aurélie did not reply, looking distracted; she was staring at a point in the courtyard behind Jamie and Rowan, and her gaze was unfocused. ‘Aurélie?’ asked Jamie again, a bit louder.<br/>
She snapped out of her trance, immediately smiling at them. ‘Oh, oui, sorry! I was just thinking that I would like to look around the courtyard by myself, if that is all right.’<br/>
‘I suppose,’ Jamie shrugged. ‘But why?’<br/>
‘It will help me… picture myself here,’ she said, somewhat unconvincingly. ‘It will only be a moment, I promise!’<br/>
Jamie shrugged again and nodded, and Aurélie paced around the courtyard, leaving the two Slytherins to themselves. ‘There’s something off about Aurélie,’ said Rowan once she was out of earshot in a whisper, narrowing his eyes at her.<br/>
‘What do you mean?’<br/>
‘We went over the classes we can take at Hogwarts for her benefit, but instead of asking questions, Aurélie seemed more interested in searching the courtyard. Don’t you think that’s odd?’<br/>
‘Well, it is a very nice courtyard…’ quipped Jamie, but Rowan still looked serious. Turning serious too, Jamie continued ‘But yes, it is a bit strange how she’s so distracted. But what would she be searching for? And why?’<br/>
‘Let’s keep a close eye on her while we continue showing her around,’ proposed Rowan, and Jamie nodded just when Aurélie was returning to them with the usual wide smile.<br/>
‘Merci, Jamie, Rowan. I am ready to continue the tour.’<br/>
‘Excellent!’ said Jamie casually. ‘Let’s see, why don’t we head to the Charms classroom?’ said Jamie. ‘You might like to see what a well-lit classroom is like.’</p><p>The tour of the Charms classroom, which was empty at the time, went much like the tour of the courtyard. Aurélie asked to look around the classroom alone to familiarise herself; and Rowan muttered to Jamie ‘I think we were right.’<br/>
‘About her odd behaviour?’ asked Jamie in a whisper so low he wondered how Rowan even heard him.<br/>
‘Yes, I’m surer than ever she’s up to something. Let’s watch as she tours the classroom. If she’s still poking around, that’ll prove she’s searching for something.’<br/>
Aurélie did seem to be “poking around”, as Rowan said, more than usual for someone merely touring the classroom. At a couple of instances, she kneeled down as if to tie her shoelace, peeking under the desks. When she went to pick a book she had dropped by Flitwick’s desk, glancing at the underside of the table, Rowan whispered ‘Suspicious, right?’<br/>
‘Looks like we were right,’ admitted Jamie. ‘Now that I think about it, a lot of her behaviour seems off. If I were considering transferring to a new school, I’d want to know everything I could about it…’<br/>
‘But she hasn’t been interested in anything we’ve told her about Hogwarts on our tour.’<br/>
‘Exactly. It’s almost as if she’s not interested in transferring at all…’<br/>
At that moment, there was a rapping noise by the window. An elegant eagle-owl was tapping the glass with its claw, a letter tied to it. The bird was looking at Aurélie, who went to retrieve it while Rowan pondered ‘But if Aurélie doesn’t want to go to Hogwarts, why did she come here?’<br/>
‘She might’ve heard about the Cursed Vaults and come to search for them,’ theorised Jamie. ‘Aurélie did say Penny told her all about me. Including the vaults, perhaps?’<br/>
‘That would explain the “searching” part,’ said Rowan, as Aurélie finished reading the letter that had been delivered to her.<br/>
‘Still, without concrete proof, we can’t be sure she’s up to anything other than what she says,’ said Jamie. ‘We better…’<br/>
‘Better what?’ asked Aurélie herself, having sent the owl on its way and with the letter in her hand.<br/>
‘Better continue the tour before it gets too late!’ quickly made up Jamie.<br/>
‘Actually, that may have to wait,’ said Aurélie, looking at the letter in her hand. ‘Madame Maxime, our Headmistress, sent me that owl with a request to meet with you, Jamie.’<br/>
‘Why?’<br/>
‘To thank you personally for your hospitality,’ said Aurélie happily. ‘She might even teach you what life at Beauxbatons is like.’ Her face turned serious for a moment, as she warned ‘But whatever you do, do not ask about her size or whether she is a half-giant. She is quite sensitive.’<br/>
‘Duly noted.’<br/>
‘She is waiting in the Great Hall. Come on, allons-y!’</p><p>They arrived at the Great Hall, and at the High Table Jamie saw Madame Maxime clearly, and at her side was Penny, less than half of Maxime’s height. Though while Jamie compared her size to Hagrid’s mentally, that was the only similarity they shared; Madame Maxime was olive-skinned and beautiful, and wore elegant black satin and opal jewellery. When Jamie and Aurélie reached the other two, Aurélie said excitedly ‘I am happy you could come, Penny.’<br/>
‘As am I,’ said Madame Maxime.<br/>
‘Jamie, Penny, I would like to introduce you to Madame Maxime,’ said Aurélie.<br/>
‘It is a pleasure to meet you two,’ said Madame Maxime, smiling at the two Hogwarts students.<br/>
‘Likewise!’ said Penny.<br/>
‘What brings you to Hogwarts, Madame Maxime?’ asked Jamie politely.<br/>
‘I had some school matters to discuss with Dumbly-dorr anyway, so I thought I would take this opportunity to escort Mademoiselle Dumont on her visit. Which brings me to my reason for calling you here… Mademoiselle Dumont tells me you and Mademoiselle Haywood have been great hosts. To show my gratitude for showing her around and making her feel welcome, I would like to return the favour by showing you what life at Beauxbatons is like.’<br/>
‘That would be great, Madame Maxime!’ said Jamie. ‘In fact, I volunteered to show Aurélie around because I was interested in learning more about Beauxbatons,’ he added, somewhat insincerely. He hadn’t <em>volunteered</em>, but he was interested in learning.<br/>
‘I’m sure you must have all sorts of questions about Beauxbatons,’ said Madame Maxime.<br/>
‘Only one, actually: are all the students at Beauxbatons so attractive?’ asked Jamie in a light-hearted tone.<br/>
Madame Maxime laughed, while Penny and Aurélie giggled, and the Headmistress said ‘Well, legend does say the Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel Fountain on the grounds contain beautifying properties.’<br/>
This did peak Jamie’s interest. ‘Nicolas Flamel? Like the legendary alchemist from the Famous Witches and Wizards Card?’<br/>
Maxime nodded. ‘Oui, him and his wife both went to Beauxbatons. The fountain was built and named in their honour. If you’re interested in learning more about it, just ask Aurélie, she knows everything there is to know about Flamel and his alchemist work.’<br/>
‘Talk can only teach them so much about us, Madam Maxime,’ said Aurélie, still pink. ‘Would it not be better to instead let them experience our culture first-hand?’<br/>
‘Excellent suggestion, Mademoiselle Dumont. Come with us to the grounds,’ said Madame Maxime to Jamie and Penny. ‘And we shall meet Beauxbatons’ beloved Abraxans.’</p><p>The sun was setting and night was falling, though there was still some daylight left for them to admire the Abraxan winged horses. They helped the French visitors tend to the creatures, as Hagrid was at the time away on Hogwarts duty, and Kettleburn was predisposed with an ornery Streeler. The magical horses didn’t have many needs, other than nourishment which had already been provided; they were excellently behaved and clean. While they were tending to the horses, Jamie noticed Aurélie seemed to be searching the walls of the castle for something; and he must have been staring suspiciously, because Penny asked him ‘Jamie? Is something wrong?’<br/>
‘Er, it’s nothing, Penny.’<br/>
Penny raised an eyebrow at his lie. ‘I find that hard to believe considering you’ve been staring at Aurélie this entire time. Is something the matter?’<br/>
Jamie bit the inside of his cheek, pondering whether to tell Penny or not of his and Rowan’s suspicions. He decided not to, and said ‘It’s really nothing… I just hope I get the opportunity to get to know her better, is all…’<br/>
Penny must have confused his nervousness at lying to her with Jamie having a crush on Aurélie, because she smiled like Christmas had arrived early. ‘See? I knew you two would get along! I really appreciate you making Aurélie feel welcome, Jamie. I don’t want to pressure her, or you for that matter, but I secretly hope Aurélie decides to come to Hogwarts.’ She then glanced at her wristwatch, and jumped slightly. ‘Oh, shoot, I’m late for my Potions Club meeting! Tell Aurélie I’ll see her later, all right?’ she said, running back to the castle.</p><p>‘Where did Mademoiselle Haywood go?’ asked Madame Maxime when they had finished tending to the Abraxans. ‘I had hoped to thank you both for doing a fine job tending to my Abraxans.’<br/>
‘She had to run to a Potions Club meeting, but she said she’d see you later, Aurélie,’ said Jamie.<br/>
‘It is a pity we could not show you more of what Beauxbatons has to offer…’ lamented Madame Maxime. ‘But short of taking you there, I am not sure what more we can do.’<br/>
‘Actually, there is a way I can experience Beauxbatons’ curriculum without ever leaving Hogwarts,’ said Jamie, suggesting ‘So long as Aurélie is up for a duel.’<br/>
‘I always am,’ said Aurélie proudly.<br/>
‘As Headmistress, I am not sure I can allow this,’ said Madame Maxime sternly, frowning.<br/>
‘Think of it as an opportunity for Aurélie and me to learn from each other, Madame Maxime. Besides, you’d be here to supervise and we’ll keep it friendly and purely academic.’<br/>
Madame Maxime relented with a sigh. ‘All right, Monsieur Smith, you and Mademoiselle Dumont may have your duel. I would be lying if I were to say I did not want to show off Beauxbatons’ history of excellence in duelling.’<br/>
‘Great, but before we begin, I thought we could make things interesting,’ said Jamie with a friendly smirk, his plan working.<br/>
‘You have my attention,’ said Aurélie. ‘What did you have in mind?’<br/>
‘Just a friendly bet,’ assured Jamie. ‘If I win, you must join me for dinner. But if you win, I’ll show you around the hidden and secret parts of this castle.’<br/>
‘Très intéressante, very interesting,’ admitted Aurélie, taking out her wand and placing herself a few paces before Jamie. ‘All right, Jamie, let us duel. But I warn you, I do not intend to lose…’<br/>
‘Neither do I,’ said Jamie, taking out his own wand and staring down at his opponent. Madame Maxime stood apart from them, in between the two combatants, and raised her arm. She dropped it, and the duel began as both fighters slashed their wands.</p><p>‘<em>Immobulus!</em>’<br/>
‘<em>Flipendo!</em>’<br/>
Aurélie’s Freezing Charm passed right over Jamie’s shoulder as he ducked and fired a Knockback Jinx, which was dodged by the nimble girl.<br/>
‘<em>Expelliarmus!</em>’ they both cried at the same time, and the jets of red light crossed each other and missed their targets by mere inches.<br/>
‘<em>Melofors!</em>’ shouted Jamie next, and the orange beam of light went over Aurélie’s head as she ducked and pointed at the ground beneath Jamie.<br/>
‘<em>Incarcifors!</em>’<br/>
The grass around Jamie’s feet grew taller and taller, knitting itself tightly into thick, strong bars that tried to grab at the Slytherin’s legs and capture him. ‘<em>Diffindo!</em>’ cried Jamie desperately, just as the grassy prison was reaching his waist. The vines were cut enough for him to jump out of the rapidly growing cage, just as Aurélie was preparing to disarm him.<br/>
‘<em>Expelliarmus!</em>’<br/>
The red beam struck the cage of vines, just when Jamie had managed to jump out and behind it. ‘<em>Brachiabindo!</em>’ Jamie shouted, aiming over his cover.<br/>
Aurélie jumped out of the way, and responded ‘<em>Vermillious!</em>’<br/>
‘<em>Ouscasi!</em>’ cried Jamie right before the red sparks struck him in the face, blinding him. His own jinx must have hit its mark, because Aurélie was not attacking him further. Blinking rapidly and shaking his head, his vision returned to him after a few seconds. Aurélie was still facing him, though defeated: her lips had been sealed shut, as if her mouth had simply vanished and there had never been a mouth. She could not cast any further spell, and raised her hands in surrender when Jamie pointed his wand at her. ‘<em>Finite Incantatem!</em>’ said Jamie, releasing her from the spell.<br/>
Moving her mouth now it was free as if it felt sore, she said ‘I can admit when I have lost. Good duel, Jamie.’<br/>
‘Bravo, Monsieur Smith! It is clear your studies here at ‘Ogwarts are paying off,’ congratulated Madame Maxime.  ‘I am sure Aurélie would appreciate some pointers if you have the time.’<br/>
‘I’d be happy to, Madame Maxime,’ said Jamie, checking the time. ‘But first, Aurélie and I have a dinner to get to.’</p><p>Madame Maxime bid them goodbye for the day, and returned to her carriage while Jamie and Aurélie returned to the castle and entered the Great Hall, sitting down across from each other. ‘I cannot help but think you wasted your duel victory,’ said Aurélie, as she contemplated the food on the golden plates before her. Picking up a large sandwich, she chuckled. ‘Trying to convince me these giant sandwiches are better than the lunches we eat at Beauxbatons is a lost cause.’<br/>
‘Actually, I asked to have lunch with you so we could talk about why you really came to Hogwarts,’ said Jamie calmly, though with a serious face.<br/>
Aurélie’s face fell. ‘Wh-whatever do you mean? It is just as Penny said, I am considering a transfer to ‘Ogwarts. Why? Do you not believe me?’<br/>
‘No, I don’t,’ admitted Jamie bluntly. ‘You’ve been snooping around the entire time I’ve been showing you around Hogwarts. Do you seriously expect me to believe you’re interested in switching schools when you haven’t shown any interest in Hogwarts student life since you got here?’<br/>
‘That is not true…’ muttered Aurélie unconvincingly. ‘I have just been… been…’<br/>
‘You might as well come clean, Aurélie. You can’t fool me like you’ve fooled Penny.’<br/>
Aurélie opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to find words. At last, she sighed, and said ‘Not here. Let us go somewhere more private.’</p><p>Jamie nodded, and stood up without having eaten. She did the same, and followed him through the castle’s corridors and into an empty classroom, which they locked from the inside. ‘Well, then,’ said Jamie quietly. ‘No more lies, right?’<br/>
‘Oui, I promise,’ said Aurélie, and it looked like she had relieved a great burden off her shoulders. ‘To be honest, I was getting tired of keeping secrets anyway.’<br/>
She paced around the class, talking, and as she talked she seemed more excited and eager. ‘Legend has it that Nicolas Flamel hid an alchemy artefact of his here at ‘Ogwarts, a treasure that he used in his alchemy. Madame Maxime told you, of course, that Nicolas Flamel is my hero. I hope to be a great alchemist like him one day, and work with Nicolas Flamel on an alchemy project!’<br/>
‘So this is why you were so interested in attending Potions here?’ asked Jamie, the pieces of the puzzle fitting in place. Aurélie nodded, and Jamie asked ‘And what about Penny?’<br/>
The fiery determination that had invaded Aurélie’s eyes as she had spoken seemed to fade, replaced with shame. ‘It is not that I am uninterested in ‘Ogwarts or going to school with Penny, but…’<br/>
‘You couldn’t let the opportunity pass,’ guessed Jamie, and again Aurélie nodded. ‘I understand. So you didn’t come here to find the Cursed Vaults?’<br/>
‘The what?’<br/>
Jamie waved the comment off. ‘Never mind, it’s not important. Still, you must really love alchemy to come all this way to find something that might not even exist.’<br/>
Aurélie bit her lip, and sat down on a desk. Fidgeting with her hands, she said softly ‘I do, but truthfully, that is not the only reason I came… Back at Beauxbatons, my older brother, Davet, is considered a prodigy. Because he is very talented, the professors dote on him… and constantly compare me to him. I love my brother, but I am sick of being in his shadow. Finding the artefact will help me become a great alchemist, and if I become a great alchemist…’ She closed her eyes for a moment, smiling. ‘My brother and the school might be proud of <em>me</em> for once.’<br/>
Jamie sat down at her side, and said gently ‘I know how you feel. I am also always compared to my older brother. People seem to expect me to be like him… which isn’t usually a good thing.’<br/>
‘Then you know why I must find this artefact,’ said Aurélie, looking at him with bright blue eyes. ‘But this place is huge, and it could be anywhere. I will never be able to find it by myself.’<br/>
‘Then it’s a good thing you won’t be by yourself.’<br/>
Her eyes widened, as she asked, dumbfounded, ‘You are going to help me? Why?’<br/>
Jamie gave himself a moment to answer, he himself unsure of his own reasons. Slowly, he explained ‘Because I’ve been where you are, searching for answers alone. And I know how important a friend’s help is in that regard. Penny is right: we have much in common, and I think we’d make good friends.’<br/>
‘If Penny’s letters are to be believed, I would be lucky to have a friend like you,’ said Aurélie, making Jamie blush and scoff.<br/>
‘Penny tends to exaggerate a few things… But it’s settled. I’ll help you search for this artefact. I just have one question,’ he said, raising a finger. ‘What are we looking for?’<br/>
‘I have no idea,’ lamented Aurélie. ‘I know whatever it is must be ancient and probably used in alchemy, but other than that, I do not know.’<br/>
‘Then it might be a good idea to start by checking Hogwarts’ records and books for hints…’ said Jamie, looking out the window to the night sky. Checking the time, he asked ‘When do you leave the school?’<br/>
‘In two days.’<br/>
‘Then we’ll start searching tomorrow morning. It’s a weekend, so I’m free of classes.’</p><p>With the light of the morning, and after an early visit to the library, Jamie took Aurélie to the Charms classroom to start the search. ‘Why the Charms classroom?’ questioned Aurélie. ‘Would the library not be more appropriate?’<br/>
‘Normally, yes, but the librarian told me Flitwick’s borrowed the most comprehensive book on Nicolas Flamel. With any luck, he left it somewhere in here,’ said Jamie, pointing at the desk cluttered with piles of books. Speedily, they read through the titles of the books, many of which were fading.<br/>
‘Did you find the book we were looking for?’ Aurélie asked when Jamie stopped searching, instead reading a heavy tome. ‘Does it mention the artefact?’<br/>
‘I’m not sure,’ said Jamie tentatively. ‘You’re the Nicolas Flamel fan, why don’t you take a look?’<br/>
‘This is probably the book, but unfortunately it seems to all be information I have read before…’ muttered Aurélie, after taking the book and reading for herself. ‘Wait… What is this? There is a photograph tucked in between these two pages that I have never seen before!’ she said, and Jamie looked over her shoulder at the photograph. There, an old, kind-looking man was standing next to a young man with long auburn hair, and they were smiling at the camera and moving slightly. ‘Look! Nicolas Flamel is posing with a man I do not recognise in what must be his workshop.’<br/>
‘Does anything in there look like it might be the artefact?’ asked Jamie, shifting his focus from the two smiling to the alchemist’s workshop behind.<br/>
‘I am not sure… There are all sorts of objects… Runes, vials, a crystal ball, tubes, a chalice, a mortar and pestle, a book with a phoenix on the cover…’ she said as she went through the background with her gaze.<br/>
‘None sound particularly like a knowledge-granting treasure, but then again what do I know about alchemy.’<br/>
‘And I would have to review to be certain…’<br/>
‘Review alchemy…?’ pondered Jamie, going over their options in his head. ‘Maybe we could talk Professor Snape into teaching us with a little help from his star student Penny… She’s no Slytherin, but Snape usually acknowledges her.’<br/>
Aurélie bit her lip, looking worried. ‘Do we have to get Penny involved? I do not want her to find out the real reason I came to ‘Ogwarts…’<br/>
Jamie nodded. ‘You might be right, it’s probably best not to tell Penny the truth. If she never finds out, she’ll never get her feelings hurt.’<br/>
Aurélie looked very relieved. ‘Merci bien, Jamie.’<br/>
‘If Penny asks, I’ll be sure to make up some excuse,’ promised Jamie, as they left the classroom and headed for the Grand Staircase.</p><p>‘Thanks for coming, Penny,’ said Jamie, as he, Penny and Aurélie reached the Potions classroom where Snape was working, with a group of revising students. ‘I didn’t want to interrupt your work, but you’re the only one I know who can convince Snape to teach us alchemy.’<br/>
‘No problem, Jamie,’ said Penny cheerfully. ‘I’m just happy to see you and Aurélie really connecting. But why do you want Snape to teach you about alchemy so badly?’<br/>
‘The truth is, Penny, I was disappointed to learn that I wouldn’t be able to study alchemy this trip…’ Aurélie started explaining.<br/>
‘But I wanted to prove she could still learn alchemy here at Hogwarts, so I suggested we ask Snape,’ finished Jamie casually. ‘Though realistically, I don’t even know if it’s going to be possible to convince Snape to-’<br/>
The door to the classroom creaked open, and Snape stared down at the three students, focusing on Jamie with a nasty look, making them all jump. ‘Convince me to what, Smith?’<br/>
‘Monsieur Snape!’<br/>
‘Professor, we were hoping you might teach us some alchemy since the class isn’t taught now,’ quickly said Jamie before fear overtook him.<br/>
‘I am not in the mood for jokes, Smith.’<br/>
‘I can assure you,’ said Aurélie. ‘We are quite serious.’<br/>
‘Smith is barely competent at basic potion-making, let alone something more advanced. And you are not even a student here. Why should I waste my time teaching you alchemy?’<br/>
‘Penny wants to give a demonstration on alchemy to the Potions Club, but she’s not sure how to teach it, so…’ quickly invented Jamie.<br/>
‘…So I was hoping I could see how you teach it and copy you,’ Penny said without missing a beat, and without showing nervousness.<br/>
‘Since you are such an excellent teacher, it should be easy for you,’ added Aurélie.<br/>
‘Is that so?’ asked Snape, this time looking at Penny, who nodded enthusiastically.<br/>
‘It’s true, Professor. The Potions Club could really benefit from your expertise.’<br/>
‘My life would be easier if I could direct every twit with aspirations of turning metal into gold to Haywood instead,’ muttered Snape, letting them into the classroom. ‘Very well, for Haywood’s sake, I will teach you some rudimentary alchemy. But I’ll be keeping my eye on you two,’ he added, looking down at Aurélie and Jamie. In a faint whisper, he said to Jamie ‘If I find this is part of another one of your schemes, Smith, there will be consequences.’<br/>
‘I understand, Professor,’ said Jamie, holding the professor’s gaze.<br/>
Snape directed them to a work desk right before his own desk, while the students who were revising on their own on a corner of the classroom paid no attention to them. Snape began his private lecture on alchemy, which proved to be quite a complex subject. Both Penny and Aurélie seemed to keep up fine, but Jamie was struggling greatly, thankful that this wasn’t part of their Potions curriculum. A particular comment that Snape made in a snide remark towards Jamie did make an impact, and when they were done with the “basic” alchemy lesson Jamie asked Penny to borrow her copy of <em>Advanced Potion Making</em>.</p><p>Leaving Penny alone to continue on her Potions project, Jamie and Aurélie left the dungeons, and locked themselves in an empty classroom on the fifth floor to discuss Jamie’s hunch. ‘Why are you so eager to read this book?’ asked Aurélie, as Jamie sat down on a chair with the book. ‘Does this have to do with what Monsieur Snape said about your lack of alchemy talent?’<br/>
Jamie nodded, reading through the index of the textbook. ‘I can’t get that comment out of my mind.’<br/>
Aurélies high laugh broke out, as she said ‘I would not take that personally. Monsieur Snape seems like quite the… unpleasant person.’<br/>
‘That’s true, but not what I meant,’ said Jamie with a chuckle. ‘I think what Snape said about the Philosopher’s Stone improving your alchemy ability might be a clue about the identity of Nicolas Flamel’s artefact. But to make sure I need to check this book, the one he mentioned.’<br/>
Going to the chapter he thought most likely to contain an answer, he noted ‘There’s a lot of information on alchemy in here… Snape did keep it simple, it seems… Aha! A passage on the Stone! According to this, the Philosopher’s Stone is theorised to grant mystical alchemical knowledge, making anything attainable! Didn’t you say, according to legend, possessing Flamel’s artefact would help you become a legendary alchemist? Sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it?’<br/>
‘Yes, but the artefact cannot be the actual Stone,’ noted Aurélie. ‘Nicolas Flamel still uses it to keep him and his wife immortal.’<br/>
‘You’re right, there’s no way the Philosopher’s Stone would be hidden at Hogwarts,’ said Jamie, still racking his brains. ‘But what if it’s something that’s related to the Philosopher’s Stone? Something involved with the making or use of the Stone, perhaps. Snape mentioned that the Philosopher’s Stone is used to create Elixir of Life. Could the alchemy artefact be a cauldron or a potion bottle… something of that sort?’<br/>
‘The chalice in the photograph!’ cried Aurélie, jumping up. ‘I do recall reading something about Nicolas Flamel preferring to drink his elixir from a chalice… Of course, that is just a rumour, but it was described similarly to the one in the photograph. This has to be it! The alchemy artefact of Nicolas Flamel is his…’<br/>
‘Shh!’ Jamie jumped up and covered her mouth with his hand, frowning and turning his head to face the door with his ear. ‘Did you hear that?’ he whispered.<br/>
Aurélie removed his hand from her mouth, frowning as well. ‘Hear what?’<br/>
Jamie did not reply immediately, instead walking quietly to the closed door, and opening it an inch or so, peering out to an apparently empty corridor. ‘I swear I just heard footsteps…’<br/>
‘You think someone might have walked in on us talking?’<br/>
‘Either that or we’re being intentionally followed…’ whispered Jamie so that only Aurélie, who was standing next to him, could hear.<br/>
‘We should get out of here…’<br/>
‘I know where we can go that’s both private and a good starting point in our search for you-know-what,’ said Jamie, this time in a normal speaking tone, catching Aurélie by surprise.</p><p>Through a few more corridors he led her, until they were inside the Artefact Room, which Aurélie contemplated with a mix of disgust and curiosity. ‘What is this place?’<br/>
‘A storage room. All sorts of treasures and magical artefacts are kept in here. If Nicolas Flamel’s chalice is in Hogwarts, there’s a good chance that it’s in this room. But more importantly, we can be sure we’re alone.’<br/>
Aurélie looked around the room again, mulling over his words. The room was so small that it would be near impossible for someone invisible to avoid bumping into them if they started searching. ‘Do you really think someone is following us?’<br/>
‘It seems likely,’ said Jamie. ‘I know I heard footsteps back in that classroom.’<br/>
‘But who would want to follow us around? And why?’<br/>
‘Penny, maybe,’ wondered Jamie. ‘Has she caught on that you’re not actually interested in transferring, perhaps?’<br/>
‘I hope not… I planned on never telling her the truth so she wouldn’t hate me… Regardless, I cannot let whoever it is distract me from finding the chalice. Not if I want to become a great alchemist and get out of my brother’s shadow. Come, let us look around. I get  a feeling finding anything in this mess is not going to be easy.’</p><p>There was no chalice to be found in the Artefact Room, not even a dirty cup that it could be mistaken for; to this realization they arrived after about hours of search, though time seemed to never pass in the cluttered room. Aurélie’s spirits were very low when she gave up. ‘I found plenty of ancient looking artefacts, but no chalice.’<br/>
‘Me too. Looks like the chalice isn’t here.’<br/>
‘If the legends are true about its powers and value, it is likely it would be kept somewhere hidden and well protected.’<br/>
‘Hold on a minute… Could the chalice be in a Cursed Vault?’ wondered Jamie. ‘But then…’<br/>
‘What is a “Cursed Vault”?’<br/>
‘It’s a…’ Jamie started, but he stopped, his ears picking something up. He pressed a finger to his lips, and Aurélie’s eyes shot wide open. She nodded: she had heard it too; footsteps, like the last time. They exchanged a doubtful look, wondering what to do, but then Jamie smiled reassuringly as he came up with a plan. ‘Good idea, Aurélie!’ he said, a bit louder than normal. ‘We’ll search the courtyard next!’<br/>
Aurélie’s face fell with horror, as she frantically whispered ‘What are you doing, Jamie? Whoever is outside will hear you!’<br/>
‘I hope so, I would feel very silly otherwise.’<br/>
‘What?’<br/>
‘Let’s just say it’s part of the plan. Now come on, we have to get to the courtyard before our mysterious follower does,’ Jamie said, exiting the room with Aurélie behind him. </p><p>Half walking, half running, they made use of a few hidden corridors and shortcuts behind tapestries and suits of armour to get to the courtyard before their mysterious stalker. The hour was much later than Jamie had counted on; night had already fallen, and they would have to watch out for Filch as well as their stalker. They snuck out to the courtyard, and hid behind a pillar; on time apparently, as it was still empty. A shadowy figure appeared through the doors that led into the castle, just as Jamie and Aurélie got out of view. Under the light of the moon, Jamie recognized the orange patch of hair over a brown mess. Merula looked around the courtyard, but her eyes did not catch sight of Jamie or Aurélie, and she muttered something angrily.<br/>
Jamie took out his wand, and jumped out of hiding while pointing it at his Slytherin classmate, asking ‘Merula?! So you’re the one who’s been following us…’<br/>
‘The girl from Potions class?’ asked Aurélie, stepping out of hiding as well behind Jamie.<br/>
Merula scoffed at the wand pointed at her face. ‘Can’t a girl get a little fresh air without being accused of following someone?’<br/>
‘Try again,’ said Jamie casually. ‘But why were you following us?’<br/>
Merula’s face twisted in rage, as she spat out ‘Because from the moment I saw Dumont I knew she was suspicious! When she joined with you and you got that private lesson from Snape, I knew for sure something was up.’<br/>
‘You have been following us for that long?’ asked Aurélie in shock.<br/>
‘I had to so I could prove I was right!’ said Merula, stomping her boot. ‘And while I don’t know what exactly you’re up to, I know it’s something.’<br/>
‘I don’t know, Merula, is that really why you were following us?’ asked Jamie, unconvinced.<br/>
If it wasn’t so dark to tell, Jamie could have sworn Merula was blushing. ‘O-of course! Why else would I follow you and Miss Beauxbatons around?’<br/>
A new idea formed in Jamie’s head, and he decided to play with it and tease her. ‘Are you really jealous of Aurélie?’<br/>
‘What?!’<br/>
Aurélie was beyond confused. ‘Of moi? But why?’<br/>
Jamie pulled on the thread with a smirk, saying ‘I think Merula’s upset that you’ve been getting more attention than her since you’ve arrived, Aurélie. It’s possible that Merula sees you as a threat to her status as one of Snape’s favourite students… It’s even possible Merula’s jealous that I’ve been spending all my time with you.’<br/>
‘Wh-what?!’ cried Merula again. ‘That’s absurd! Where did you get a rubbish idea like that?! Are you sure you aren’t confusing me for Khanna?’<br/>
‘Whatever you say, Merula,’ said Jamie with a small laugh, rolling his eyes.<br/>
‘It doesn’t matter if you believe me,’ said Merula with scorn. ‘I’ll drag you straight to Dumbledore if I have to. I’ll…’<br/>
‘No need, Mademoiselle,’ said a strong, proud voice by the doors of the courtyard. Madame Maxime was walking towards them, quite leisurely. ‘Dumbly-dorr already wants to see Mademoiselle Dumont in his office.’<br/>
‘But… but…’ said Aurélie. ‘There is still so much I have to do before it is time for us to leave…’<br/>
‘Don’t worry, Aurélie, I’ll keep looking while you’re busy,’ promised Jamie.<br/>
‘Hold it right there, Monsieur Smith. Dumbly-dorr has asked to see you as well.’</p><p>She accompanied them to the gargoyle that guarded the staircase to Dumbledore’s office, after sending Merula away. She gave the password, and beckoned the two teens up the staircase to talk to Dumbledore alone. Entering the round office, Jamie asked politely ‘You asked to see us, Professor Dumbledore?’<br/>
‘Yes, I wanted to thank you, Mr Smith, for showing Miss Dumont around in Miss Haywood’s stead,’ said Dumbledore, turning to them with a smile. He was in front of an open cabinet, which he closed as he turned to the students.<br/>
‘It’s not a problem, Professor.’<br/>
‘Miss Dumont, I hope you are enjoying your time at Hogwarts.’<br/>
‘Oh, oui, ‘Ogwarts is truly a magical place… And I certainly have enjoyed spending time with Jamie and Penny, but…’<br/>
‘But you’re disappointed you haven’t found what you’re really looking for,’ finished Dumbledore knowingly.<br/>
Aurélie looked shocked. ‘How did you know?’<br/>
Dumbledore chuckled. ‘Let us just say that I am good at reading people. What I don’t know is why you didn’t come to me to begin with.’<br/>
‘Of course!’ said Aurélie, hitting her forehead with her palm. ‘I am so stupid! How could I have forgotten?’<br/>
‘You’ve lost me,’ said Jamie.<br/>
‘Albus Dumbledore was a student and partner of Nicolas Flamel! Then the young man standing next to Flamel in the photograph…’<br/>
‘Was me, yes,’ confirmed Dumbledore. ‘I studied alongside Nicolas for some time.’<br/>
‘Can you tell us more?’ asked Aurélie giddily. ‘I would love to know what Nicolas Flamel is really like.’<br/>
‘I’d be happy to. I caught Nicolas’ attention as a student. He has helped me a great deal throughout the years, and we created many new advancements in alchemy together. And let me tell you, he doesn’t look a day over three hundred. In truth, I consider him more of a friend than a mere partner.’<br/>
‘Then if anyone who would know if Nicolas Flamel had a legendary chalice exists, it would be you,’ said Aurélie excitedly. ‘Is the legend true? Was it really hidden here at ‘Ogwarts?’<br/>
‘I am afraid I cannot say,’ said Dumbledore. ‘However, I can assure you that if it does exist, it is not at Hogwarts.’<br/>
‘Non… that cannot be right…’ muttered Aurélie, shaking her head in defeat.<br/>
‘Are you sure, Professor Dumbledore?’ asked Jamie. ‘Is it possible you just forgot or misplaced it?’<br/>
‘I heard a rumour about a treasure hidden in a protected vault on ‘Ogwarts grounds,’ said Aurélie.<br/>
‘I do know first-hand there are secret vaults at Hogwarts, and they are supposed to contain treasures…’ Jamie said. ‘The Cursed Vaults I mentioned earlier? That’s them.’<br/>
‘Are you sure the chalice is not in one of them, Monsieur Dumbledore?’<br/>
‘Unfortunately, I am quite sure,’ remarked Dumbledore.<br/>
‘But I need that chalice! I need it so I can become a great alchemist! If I do not… I will be stuck in my brother’s shadow forever…’<br/>
‘But Miss Dumont, as far as I can tell, you already are a great alchemist,’ said Dumbledore warmly. ‘And believe me, I can recognise talent when I see it. I worked with the best, after all.’<br/>
‘You really think so?’ asked Aurélie in disbelief.<br/>
‘I do, and I think you would too if you stopped comparing yourself to your brother, and started appreciating your own talents. The same is true for you as well, Mr Smith. Whether you’re trying to live up to your brother’s reputation or trying to live it down, you can’t expect others to appreciate your accomplishments if you can’t appreciate them yourself.’<br/>
‘Thank you, Professor,’ said Jamie, Dumbledore’s words resonating in him.<br/>
‘Oui, merci beaucoup, Monsieur Dumbledore! From now on, I will pursue alchemy because I love it!’<br/>
‘Glad to hear it,’ said Dumbledore. ‘Now, if I recall, you don’t have much time before you have to leave, Miss Dumont. I suggest you use all the remaining time to say your goodbyes.’<br/>
They were dismissed for the night, and as they walked down the corridors Aurélie said ‘Monsieur Dumbledore is right. I need to have an important talk with Penny tomorrow morning.’<br/>
Jamie nodded. ‘Go ahead. I’ll meet you in the grounds to see you when you’re done.’</p><p>On Sunday morning, the powder-blue carriage had been prepared, and the dozen Abraxans were ready to pull it. At the door of the carriage, Aurélie was saying goodbye to her penfriend when Jamie arrived. ‘How did your talk go?’ asked Jamie.<br/>
‘I told her my choice to not transfer,’ said Aurélie, somewhat sadly. ‘I just don’t think it’s right for me.’<br/>
‘I was disappointed, but I understood,’ said Penny with a weak smile. ‘The last thing I want to do is pressure her into making a decision she wouldn’t be happy about. I’m sorry for putting so much pressure on you to convince Aurélie to transfer, Jamie.’<br/>
‘That’s all right, Penny,’ assured Jamie. ‘I got more out of showing Aurélie around than I expected.’<br/>
Madame Maxime came out of the castle, walking towards them in a few long strides. ‘Nice to see you again, Mademoiselle Haywood, Monsieur Smith. Thank you again for showing Mademoiselled Dumont around. I hope you will consider visiting Beauxbatons one day so we can return the favour.’<br/>
‘It would be a pleasure,’ said Jamie.<br/>
‘For me, too! I’d like to attend those Potions classes you write so much about,’ said Penny.<br/>
‘You will love it, I promise!’ said Aurélie. ‘Plus it would be good for you to experience what real cooking tastes like.’<br/>
‘Now, are you ready to go, Mademoiselle Dumont?’ asked Madame Maxime, opening the carriage door. ‘I am afraid we cannot wait any longer.’<br/>
‘Au revoir, Penny, Jamie,’ said Aurélie, climbing the golden stairs of the carriage. ‘I will be sure to write often!’<br/>
The door of the carriage was closed, and Jamie and Penny stood back a few paces as the carriage began to move, and the Abraxans took flight, taking it with them.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Polyjuice Potion and Animagi</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>‘Jamie! Something terrible has happened!’ Penny’s voice made Jamie turn around on his seat during lunch. She was standing behind him, clearly unhappy about something. ‘It’s worse than when my wand got tangled in my plaits!’<br/>
‘I still think there’s a charm to untangle your hair…’ Jamie tried to ease the mood with some levity.<br/>
‘I don’t care about that. Have you seen a Wit-Sharpening Potion anywhere? It just vanished…’ Penny's shoulders slumped, as she looked down at her shoes. ‘I spent weeks working on that potion. It’s one of the most difficult I’ve ever brewed…’<br/>
‘Don’t worry, Penny. I’ll help you find it!’ said Jamie, standing up from his seat.</p><p>By the end, after asking around the tables, they were no closer to finding the missing potion than before. ‘I give up. We’re never going to find my potion…’ Penny lamented.<br/>
Before Jamie could try to cheer her up, something caught his eye. ‘Wait, what’s Merula doing at the High Table?’ The girl in question had a small glass bottle in her hand, filled with a potion Jamie recognised from Penny’s description. She was presenting it to Professors Dumbledore and Snape, the latter taking it to examine it closer.<br/>
Penny’s face turned into a scowl. ‘That’s my potion! Merula stole it!’ They saw Snape saying something to Dumbledore with a nod and an impressed expression (or as impressed as Snape could appear). Dumbledore nodded as well, and they heard the professors congratulate Merula on her potion, who took the compliments with a smug expression. Penny couldn’t be any more furious. ‘That phony, deceitful, little rat! What should we do, Jamie?’<br/>
Jamie thought about the situation. Ironically, Merula’s action seemed like an excellent example of cunning, which he somewhat respected as a fellow Slytherin, though pointing that out wasn’t going to earn him any sympathies. Besides, her lie was affecting someone close to him, so he couldn’t let it pass. With a mischievous smile, he replied ‘I think a little revenge is in order. We’ll find a way to expose her, with a teeny tiny bit of humiliation in the process.’<br/>
Penny immediately relaxed, nodding. ‘Thank you, Jamie. Everyone needs to know what Merula did… Follow me, I know how to make this right…’</p><p>Arriving at a corner of the Courtyard, Penny turned to Jamie. ‘How do we get her to confess?’<br/>
Jamie stroked his chin. ‘Since Potions is your thing, maybe we could brew a truth serum? Like Veritaserum?’<br/>
‘A bit too complicated, and I don’t think that’s good enough to humiliate her.’<br/>
‘Got a better plan, then?’<br/>
‘Merula will never admit to us she stole my potion and lied, but she might confess if we use Polyjuice Potion,’ Penny said nonchalantly.<br/>
‘Polyjuice Potion!? Doesn’t that change your appearance?’<br/>
Penny looked at him, confident in her abilities. ‘It does, and it’s extremely difficult to brew, but I can do it…’<br/>
‘You really think it’ll make Merula confess?’<br/>
‘I hope so. Let me tell you my plan: we turn into someone Merula fears, and force her to confess to Dumbledore in front of everyone.’<br/>
‘The big question is… who are you going to turn into?’<br/>
‘Who do you think could make Merula confess?’<br/>
‘As a Slytherin, I can tell you that Professor Snape can make just about any one of us confess to anything, but I think you already knew that.’<br/>
‘I agree. It has to be Professor Snape.’<br/>
‘So that’s your plan? You’re going to make yourself look like Professor Snape?’<br/>
Penny laughed, but that didn’t make Jamie any less anxious about the situation. ‘No… I’m going to make you look like Professor Snape.’<br/>
Jamie looked at her with wide eyes. ‘Why me?!’<br/>
‘Someone needs to distract the real Snape so he doesn’t walk in when we confront Merula. I can get Snape to talk to me about the nuances of potionmaking for hours. And tell me if I’m wrong, but it seems like he hates you.’<br/>
Jamie’s eyes rolled. ‘You’re not wrong…’<br/>
Penny got serious again. ‘It takes a long time to brew Polyjuice Potion. I should get started right away. But I’ll need you to help me gather ingredients…’</p><p>Sneaking into the Potions Classroom, Jamie saw Penny already inside, rummaging through a shelf. Without stopping her search, she said ‘We can find some of the ingredients for Polyjuice Potion here in the Potions Classroom. Once you drink the potion, you’ll look exactly like Snape. And Merula will have to confess to Snape that she stole my potion.’ She looked at him with a smile. ‘I bet you’ll make a great Snape, Jamie. Rehearse saying stuff that’s grumpy and gloomy…’<br/>
Jamie cleared his throat, putting on a scowl. ‘I despise everything about you, Smith,’ he imitated Snape, earning a giggle from Penny.<br/>
‘Stop it! I feel like you hit me with a Tickle Jinx.’<br/>
‘What ingredients do we need to find?’ Jamie asked, returning to his normal voice.<br/>
‘Fluxweed, knotgrass and lacewing flies,’ Penny recited. ‘They’re on these shelves over here, but it’s hard to see…’<br/>
Jamie took out his wand. ‘Allow me… <em>Lumos!</em>’<br/>
‘Brilliant! Let’s hurry and find those ingredients, just in case Snape is drawn by the sounds of your impersonation.’</p><p>‘I found it! Lacewing flies!’ Penny took some of the contents of the jar in a satchel inside of her robes.<br/>
‘And here’s the knotgrass and fluxweed!’ Jamie took the ingredients and handed them to the blonde witch.<br/>
‘Perfect! We’re on our way to brewing Polyjuice Potion.’<br/>
‘How do you know how to brew this potion, anyway?’<br/>
‘Snape mentioned it in class, so I sneaked a book from the Restricted Section of the Library that had the recipe. I’ll put the book back when we’re finished, and no one will be the wiser.’<br/>
‘Stealing again, Penny? I thought you had learned your lesson…’ Jamie said in a mocking tone.<br/>
‘Some of us can never learn, can we, Jamie?’ she said with a mischievous wink. ‘We still need to gather Bicorn horn and boomslang skin, but they’re a little harder to come by… My friend Lizard Tuttle can get them for us.’<br/>
Jamie frowned at the weird name. ‘Lizard… Turtle? Is that some kind of magical reptile beast?’<br/>
‘Tuttle. Her nickname is Lizard,’ Penny corrected him. ‘She’s an amazing Slytherin in our year who’s obsessed with magical creatures. She even names every Flobberworm she meets.’<br/>
‘Sounds like a cool friend,’ Jamie said, remembering that he had heard the name in his classes, though he couldn't quite place the face.<br/>
‘She’s… different. But really, really cool. You know, a magical creatures expert could be a big help to you… Anyways, I need to start stewing lacewing flies for the Polyjuice Potion. That process could take weeks… I wish I could be there when you and Lizard meet.’<br/>
‘Don’t worry, I’ll tell you everything afterwards. Send her a message to meet me in the corridor that leads to the Vanished Stairs to give me what you need in a few days.'</p><p>Carefully entering the corridor, Jamie saw a girl with her back turned to him, and immediately recognised her as a Slytherin classmate. She had dark skin; black curly hair tied into a large bun with a green band; big round glasses; and a green jacket tied around her waist. Jamie approached her. ‘Excuse me, are you Lizard? Penny Haywood sent me to meet you…’<br/>
The girl took out her wand, looking over her shoulder. ‘Stop right there! Billywig, Bowtruckle, or Bundimun?’<br/>
‘Huh?’<br/>
She turned towards him, pointing at his chest with her wand. ‘Billywig, Bowtruckle, or Bundimun?!’<br/>
‘…Billiwig.’<br/>
‘So, you have a prickly personality, like me? Are you from Australia? Maybe you have a secret passion for Quidditch that no one knows about…’<br/>
‘No, no, and no. I just said Billywig,’ said Jamie with an amused look.<br/>
‘I feel like we already know so much about each other… A lot of people make fun of me for asking that question. Sometimes, I hit those people with the Bat-Bogey Hex.’<br/>
Jamie smiled at her shenanigans. ‘That sounds quite… mad. How haven’t we properly met until now?’<br/>
‘Ugh, I know. I’m not so good around people. I do much better around animals and creatures… I’m Liz Tuttle. Everyone calls me Lizard. You know, because of the animal thing. Someday I want to be a world-famous Magizoologist like Newt Scamander! That’s my ambition.’<br/>
‘We Slytherins always aim high, huh?’<br/>
‘We just aspire to be exceptional. I think that’s a good thing.’<br/>
‘That makes two of us, then. I’m James Smith, but you can call me Jamie. Now, Penny said you have potion ingredients for me…’<br/>
‘Yes! Bicorn horn and boomslang skin. No creatures were harmed in the gathering of these ingredients,’ she said, with a proud smile, handing him a parcel. ‘I really like Penny. She brews a lot of potions, but unlike Snape, she cares where her ingredients come from. She even took the time to be nice to me, even though everyone says I’m strange.’<br/>
Jamie gave out a chuckle. ‘People say the same thing about me and a lot of my friends... They might be right, but at least my friends are interesting.’<br/>
‘If we were friends, I’d loose a pack of Crups on your enemies! Honestly, they’re not very good attack animals, but they’re fun to pet. I’d let you pet mine if we were friends.’<br/>
‘That sounds nice… I think.’ Jamie shook his head, suddenly confused. ‘I think I lost track…’<br/>
‘Oh, yes! Tell Penny I say hi, Jamie. Let me know if you ever need any special ingredients!’</p><p>Jamie entered the Great Hall for dinner, and saw Tulip and Barnaby chatting at the Ravenclaw table. Sitting down with them, he was greeted with a nod from his two curse-breaking accomplices. Tulip was the first to talk, ‘Hello, James Smith. Barnaby and I were just discussing Talbott Winger.’<br/>
‘Who’s Talbott Winger?’ asked Jamie as he was loading his plate.<br/>
‘A Ravenclaw in our year. You don’t know him because he’s hardly ever around, and when he is, he keeps to himself.’<br/>
‘They also say his dad is a vampire, and his mum is a mermaid!’ Barnaby added with excitement.<br/>
Tulip looked at the boy with a raised eyebrow. ‘I’m actually quite certain that you just made that up.’<br/>
‘Hmm… could be. Merula always used to say I was full of good ideas. Amongst other things…’<br/>
Tulip continued with a conspiratorial tone. ‘I have, however, heard that he’s attempting to brew an Animagus Potion.’<br/>
That was the first time Jamie had heard of such a potion. ‘Like, if you drink it, you turn into an Animagus?’<br/>
‘There are multiple steps involving a special spell, and a specific sort of storm, but in short yes.’<br/>
Jamie whistled, impressed. ‘That’s nice. Imagine being an Animagus. How cool would it be to transform into an animal?!’<br/>
Tulip looked at him with a curious look. ‘I know why I’d like to turn into an animal, but why would you?’<br/>
Jamie shrugged. ‘I’d be amazing. And I hear it’s quite difficult to become an Animagus, so it’d be a way to prove my powers.’ He chuckled at his own words. ‘I’m starting to sound like Merula. Hope that doesn’t become a habit…’<br/>
Tulip nodded with a grin. ‘No, I understand. Imagine all the sneaking you could do in animal form, though…’<br/>
Jamie looked at the golden fork he was holding, thinking about the rumour. ‘Maybe I should talk to this Talbott Winger about brewing an extra Animagus Potion for me…’<br/>
Tulip stroked her chin. ‘He’ll shut down if you confront him. You need to work out the best way to approach him…’<br/>
‘It might be best to ask around about him first…’ said Barnaby, breaking his silence.<br/>
‘Good idea, Barnaby,’ Jamie praised, slightly surprised at the boy.<br/>
Barnaby gleamed with pride. ‘I don’t remember ever having two ideas in one sitting. My Hogwarts education might finally be taking effect…’</p><p>Before any of them could say anything else, a Ravenclaw boy sitting near them at the same table, at a distance, turned towards them. ‘If you want to know something about me, just ask.’ The boy had brown straight hair and eyes, dark skin, and angular features.<br/>
Sitting a bit closer to him, Jamie asked ‘How did you know I was talking about you?’<br/>
‘My hearing is almost as good as my eyesight. Besides, I’m used to people talking about me.’<br/>
‘I’m sorry to bother you, but I heard you’re brewing an Animagus Potion. I’ve always wanted to transform into an animal, so I was wondering…’<br/>
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ the Ravenclaw interrupted him, breaking the eye contact.<br/>
‘All right. Sorry to bother you, Talbott…’ Jamie understood the need for privacy, turning back to his friends.<br/>
Talbott’s voice made him turn around again. ‘Is it true you sneaked into Filch’s Office?’<br/>
Jamie grinned mischievously. ‘Perhaps. Why? Do you want to know how to get in?’<br/>
‘I’m collecting things for a mutual friend of ours.’<br/>
‘A mutual friend?’<br/>
Talbott gave out a tired sigh. ‘You’re probably surprised I have any friends at all…’<br/>
‘Not really. After everything I’ve been through, it takes a lot to surprise me.’<br/>
Talbott smirked. ‘We’ll see about that.’<br/>
‘Up for the challenge, are you?’<br/>
Talbott stood up from his seat. ‘Let’s go, James Smith. You can show me how you may or may not have sneaked into Filch’s Office…’</p><p>‘Really? All you had to do was cast <em>Alohomora</em> on the door?’ Talbott looked around the office, with a disappointed look on his face.<br/>
Jamie shrugged his shoulders. ‘Don’t ask me why Filch makes it so easy to sneak into his office… What are we looking for?’<br/>
‘I need the chrysalis of a Death’s-Head hawkmoth.’<br/>
‘The what of a what-what?’<br/>
‘The chrysalis of a Death’s-Head hawkmoth. Someone I trust told me Filch confiscated some just last week. We’ll need it for the Animagus Potion. Look for a moth with skull-shaped markings.’</p><p>After a while of rummaging around the shelves, Jamie exclaimed ‘I found the… thing!’<br/>
Inspecting it, Talbott said ‘That’s definitely the chrysalis of a Death’s-Head hawkmoth. Nice work, James. Now, we need to collect dew from the Artefact Room. After that, we’ll almost be ready to brew an Animagus Potion.’<br/>
Jamie narrowed his eyes. ‘We?’<br/>
‘What?’<br/>
‘You said “we”,’ Jamie pointed out with a raised eyebrow.<br/>
‘It was an accident,’ Talbott muttered.<br/>
‘I think you did it on purpose…’ Jamie taunted.<br/>
‘No, I didn’t,’ Talbott said with a stoic expression.<br/>
Jamie kept teasing him. ‘I think you want to be my friend.’<br/>
Talbott scoffed. ‘Absolutely not.’<br/>
‘We’ll see…’<br/>
‘Right,’ Talbott scoffed, leaving the room, and Jamie followed.</p><p>Pushing the door to the Artefact Room, Jamie followed Talbott into the cluttered room. Looking around with amusement, Jamie pondered ‘Wouldn’t it be easier to get dew from outside than in the Artefact Room?’<br/>
‘It can only be collected from a place untouched by sunlight and human feet for seven days. I cast  a Locking Spell on the door a week ago, and this room gets especially cool at night, so it should work,’ Talbott explained.<br/>
‘I’m sure you know how strange that sounds…’ Jamie said sarcastically.<br/>
Talbott matched his tone. ‘I neglected to mention that it can only be collected with a silver teaspoon.’<br/>
‘Pff, obviously.’<br/>
‘We need this ingredient to complete the Animagus Potion. Look for areas that are especially moist, and whatever you do, don’t touch them with your bare feet.’<br/>
‘Good thing I’m wearing this recent invention. Shoes, I believe they are called…’</p><p>Going over the darker corners and cabinets, Jamie and Talbott managed to gather enough dew to fill a small phial. Talbott examined it, content with the results. ‘Thanks for your help, James Smith. Now, we need a mandrake leaf from Herbology. It’s the last ingredient we need to collect for the Animagus Potion.’<br/>
‘You said “we” again,’ Jamie pointed out.<br/>
‘It definitely was an accident that time,’ Talbott said, exiting the room.<br/>
‘…That time?’ muttered Jamie, before following him into the Herbology greenhouses.</p><p>Entering the Herbology Classroom, Talbott reminded him of the task at hand. ‘We need to find a mandrake leaf for the Animagus Potion.’<br/>
‘And for our mutual friend?’<br/>
‘Yes.’<br/>
‘Are you going to tell me who it is?’<br/>
‘Penny Haywood.’<br/>
‘So you’re friends with Penny?’<br/>
Talbott narrowed his eyes. ‘Why are you surprised that I’m friends with Penny?’<br/>
‘You seem like an odd match… But I’m not entirely surprised.’<br/>
‘Because she’s a Hufflepuff, and I’m a Ravenclaw?’<br/>
‘No, she has friends from all houses. I’m a Slytherin, for Merlin’s beard.’<br/>
‘Because she’s the most popular girl in school, and I hardly have any friends?’<br/>
‘No, not that…’<br/>
‘What is it, then?’<br/>
‘Let’s just say, she’s a lot more subtle in her usual approach to others.’<br/>
Talbott rolled his eyes. ‘My life is too complicated to be anything but direct. Let’s look for a mandrake leaf.’</p><p>Jamie rolled his eyes, walking over to the mandrake pots. Nicking a few leafs from their twigs, he turned to Talbott and said in a mock victorious tone ‘Look, I found a mandrake leaf! Not that hard, was it?’<br/>
Talbott chuckled. ‘Nice work, Smith. Let’s bring these ingredients to Penny… She’ll know how to brew the Animagus Potion.’</p><p>They found Penny studying in the Library along with Tonks and Rowan. Jamie and Talbott sat at their table. Penny looked extremely happy to see the Ravenclaw and Slytherin working together. ‘Jamie! I didn’t know you and Talbott were friends!’<br/>
Jamie looked, amused, at Talbott. ‘Are we friends, Talbott?’<br/>
‘We’re working it out.’<br/>
‘Did you bring the ingredients?’<br/>
Talbott nodded. ‘We have untouched dew, a mandrake leaf and the chrysalis of a Death’s-Head hawkmoth.’<br/>
‘All we need now is a strand of the drinker’s hair before starting the incredibly complicated brewing process!’ Penny said, excited.<br/>
Tonks chuckled. ‘I love that you said that with such enthusiasm.’<br/>
‘Penny is like Snape if Snape was nothing like Snape,’ Rowan agreed in his own way.<br/>
‘So you’re going to drink the potion and become an Animagus, Penny?’ asked Jamie.<br/>
‘No, I’m mostly just excited about the challenge of brewing the potion. It’s very advanced.’<br/>
‘And the potion is only one step in the process of becoming an Animagus…’ Talbott noted.<br/>
‘Becoming a Metamorphmagus is much easier,’ Tonks chimed in.<br/>
‘You have to be born a Metamorphmagus…’ Rowan said, confused.<br/>
‘Exactly. I literally didn’t have to do anything.’<br/>
‘Let’s work out how to brew this potion. Then we can work out who’s going to drink it…’ Penny returned them to important matters.</p><p>While they were studying the potion, Jamie leaned towards Penny, whispering so that no one else heard him. ‘How’s the Polyjuice Potion going, by the way?’<br/>
Matching his volume, she replied ‘It’s going well. Just a few more days of letting the lacewings stew. You got everything from Liz?’<br/>
‘Yes, I’ll bring the ingredients when the lacewings stew, don’t you worry,’ Jamie reassured her. Penny nodded with a smile, and returned to read the recipe for the Animagus Potion. </p><p>After a while, they had gathered all the information they needed.  Frowning at the recipe, Jamie asked ‘Animagus Potions seems more complicated than anything you’ve brewed before… Are you sure you can brew it, Penny?’<br/>
‘The question is, do you trust me enough to drink the Animagus Potion?’ Penny said, scratching her chin.<br/>
‘Of course I trust you, but don’t you want to drink it?’<br/>
Penny pointed around the table with her arm. ‘We all do, but you should go first. Becoming an Animagus will help you find the Cursed Vaults and your brother. If this goes well, I can always brew more for the rest of us.’<br/>
Jamie’s eyes widened, moved at the gesture. ‘Thank you, Penny. What should I do to prepare?’<br/>
‘Put the mandrake feaf in your mouth, and keep it there for an entire month,’ Penny said casually.<br/>
‘Seriously?!’<br/>
‘Seriously. If you accidentally swallow the leaf or remove it from your mouth, you’ll have to start all over.’<br/>
‘What then?’<br/>
‘I'll tell you in thirty days.’</p><p>Almost a month had passed since Penny had started brewing the Polyjuice Potion, and both her and Jamie met inside the Artefact Room to use the ingredients Liz had given Jamie. Sitting around the cauldron, which was hidden inside a cabinet, the two teens worked on the potion under the careful supervision of Penny. Looking over the mud-like liquid, she beamed up. ‘There! The Polyjuice Potion is almost complete. There’s just one last thing we need…’<br/>
‘What?’<br/>
‘A piece of Snape.’<br/>
The information came over him like a bucket of cold water. ‘A piece of him?’<br/>
‘The recipe calls a piece of the person you wish to become. A strand of hair, a toenail, even some dandruff.’<br/>
‘I’m not going anywhere near Snape’s feet. How could I get some of his hair?’<br/>
‘Or dandruff! You could also gather Snape’s dandruff!’ Penny seemed too much into the idea for Jamie’s liking.<br/>
‘Stop saying dandruff.’<br/>
Penny laughed. ‘Okay, Jamie. I’ll try to find some alternative dandruff, just in case you don’t succeed. Be careful taking Snape’s hair… If he catches you, he’ll know what we’re planning, and we’ll never get Merula to confess.’<br/>
‘I can’t believe I’m about to steal Snape’s hair. I’d rather steal hair from between a troll’s toes…’</p><p>‘Miss Snyde continues to demonstrate great skill, while the rest of you lag behind,’ Snape said to the students in his class, after praising Merula’s Wit-Sharpening Potion for the fifth or sixth time since she had presented it to him. ‘I see no evidence that anyone could surpass her abilities…’<br/>
Jamie grinned, speaking up. ‘You’re right, Professor Snape! Merula is really talented, and you’re a fine judge of character!’ As he spoke, he tried his hardest to not let any sarcasm seep through to his voice, making it sound as genuine as could be. It wasn't easy to hide the fact he had a soggy leaf pressed against the inside of his right cheek either, but he had almost grown accustomed to it.<br/>
Snape looked at him, more surprised at Jamie’s agreement than at the interruption ‘This is literally the smartest thing you’ve ever said, Smith.’<br/>
Jamie nudged Merula with his elbow. ‘Show everyone how you brewed your perfect Wit-Sharpening Potion…’<br/>
The smug look on Merula’s face disappeared for a moment, as she muttered ‘I… could if I wanted to. Obviously. I just don’t want to interrupt another one of Professor Snape’s brilliant lessons.’<br/>
Snape returned the student’s attention back to himself and the day’s potion. When the lesson was over, Jamie remained behind, waiting until he was the last student in the room. Snape had his back turned to him, as he was organizing a few ingredients in the cabinet behind his desk. ‘Excuse me, Professor Snape?’<br/>
The teacher turned to face the student. ‘What do you want, Smith?’<br/>
‘Did you really believe Merula made such a brilliant potion? Don’t you think she might’ve lied?’<br/>
Snape frowned at the question, disgusted at the mere thought that he had been lied to. ‘Even if she had, why would I believe your word over hers? Over anyone’s, for that matter?’ Snape turned around, returning to his potion. ‘When I turn around, you had better be somewhere else…’<br/>
Jamie looked at the professor’s hair, tempting him to pull one. At the same time, something inside of him refused to do such a thing, overcoming Penny’s request. Sighing, he backed out of the classroom, unable to take a hair.</p><p>Fortunately for Penny, she had a plan B. Somehow; she had managed to collect a bit of Felix Rosier’s dandruff. Imitating his Prefect was much easier than imitating Snape, thought Jamie, and he could still exert some power over Merula. Drinking the potion with great care as not to swallow the mandrake leaf, Jamie felt great discomfort all around his body. His stomach churned aggressively, and his skin bubbled like melting wax, as he turned into Felix, getting taller inch by inch. When it was over, he put on a faux Prefect Badge over a set of robes that fit Felix, and went to the Great Hall. He strolled over to where Merula was sitting on the Slytherin Table, wanting to get it done as quickly as possible. Penny had stuck the real Felix to the ground with some spilt Flobberworm Mucus, so the Prefect would not arrive too soon, but Jamie still wasn't sure how long the effects of the potion would last, hoping it would be long enough. Sitting in front of Merula, the boy in disguise was greeted by her with a curt nod. ‘Look who finally rolled out of bed! Rosier, our esteemed Prefect, late for dinner!’ she said, in mock enthusiasm.<br/>
‘Look at Snyde, mouthing off. So witty. You should have been a Ravenclaw.’<br/>
‘Well, what took you so long?’<br/>
‘Not much. I was just thinking about what an insufferable rat you are.’<br/>
‘Excuse me?!’ The reply took Merula by surprise. Apparently, that answer didn’t fit Rosier so much, a mistake Jamie immediately regretted making.<br/>
A Slytherin boy next to them eased the tension. ‘Relax, you two. We’re all Slytherins here…’<br/>
‘I’m very relaxed. I’m just wondering… wondering why Rosier is acting so strange…’ Merula looked at him with a suspicious look.<br/>
‘Strange? Me?’<br/>
Merula waved her hand. ‘Never mind.’ She returned her attention to her food for a few seconds, but looked again at Jamie, annoyed by his stare. ‘Do you want something?’<br/>
‘I want you to confess,’ he said, looking at her in the eyes.<br/>
‘To what?’ she shrugged.<br/>
Maintaining eye contact, he said ‘You stole Penny Haywood’s potion and passed it off as your own.’<br/>
‘What’s the bloody matter with you?! You said it was a brilliant idea!’ Merula protested in a hushed whisper. Of course Felix had said that, thought Jamie. Anything to get the upper hand in the House Cup leaderboard.<br/>
Without raising his voice too much or looking away, Jamie insisted with a stern tone ‘Confess to Professor Dumbledore, right now.’<br/>
‘Why should I confess?’<br/>
‘I know enough hexes, curses and jinxes to make your head spin. Literally. Do you really want to mess with me?’ the threat came in a cold tone, working as intended.<br/>
Merula held his gaze for a few seconds, finally looking away with a groan. ‘…Fine! But any House Points I lose for Slytherin are on you, Rosier.’</p><p>Standing up, both of them marched to the High Table, with Jamie closely following Merula to make sure she didn’t run away. Reaching Dumbledore and Snape, Jamie asked for their attention. ‘Professors, Merula has something she would like to say…’<br/>
‘No, I don’t!’<br/>
‘…Merula has something she is going to say…’ insisted Jamie coldly, pushing her forward.<br/>
‘Get on with it, Miss Snyde…’ Snape said.<br/>
Looking at her shoes, she muttered, loud enough for the professors to hear, ‘I stole Penny Haywood’s Wit-Sharpening Potion and passed it off as my own.’<br/>
Snape scowled. ‘You deceived me. I praised you in front of the entire school, and now we both look like fools.’<br/>
Dumbledore gave them a knowing smile. ‘Thank you for your honesty, Miss Snyde, delayed though it may be. Severus, please make sure that Penny Haywood is rewarded for this confusion.’<br/>
‘Yes, Headmaster.’<br/>
‘I’ve never been so humiliated…’ Merula lamented.<br/>
‘Hurts, doesn’t it?’ whispered Jamie in her ear. The Slytherin girl returned to her seat, where she brooded while she finished her meal. Jamie, worried that he might not have much time left, tried to leave, but was stopped by Dumbledore a few more moments.</p><p>Dumbledore stood up, and asked for the attention of all the students in the Great Hall. ‘Attention, everyone! Please come here, Miss Haywood…’ A nervous but happy-looking Penny went over to Dumbledore’s side, as the headmaster continued ‘Penny Haywood has displayed exceptional skill at Potions. She is to be commended. And I will make sure she is adequately rewarded for brewing such an exceptional Wit-Sharpening Potion.'<br/>
Penny nudged Jamie, who was still near Dumbledore, giving him a thankful look before walking away to sit down; and Jamie was left alone with Dumbledore, still in Rosier's likeness.<br/>
Dumbledore turned to the Slytherin. ‘Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Twenty points to Slytherin.’<br/>
‘Thank you, Professor Dumbledore,’ Jamie said, a bit impatiently.<br/>
‘Now, I would suggest you exit the Great Hall before that Polyjuice Potion wears off, Mr Smith.’<br/>
Jamie was left dumbfounded. ‘How did you know it was me?’<br/>
Dumbledore blinked, smiling knowingly. ‘Know it was who? You are obviously Felix Rosier, Slytherin Prefect, and champion of honesty. Good night!’</p><p>The full moon illuminated the night sky, as Jamie strolled down the Training Grounds to meet his blonde, potion-loving friend. She waved at him. ‘I’m sorry you’ve had to keep that mandrake leaf in your mouth for so long, but we had to wait for the next full moon. I’m sure you’re ready to take it out for the first time in a month…’<br/>
‘You could say that,’ Jamie chuckled, his jaw sore from keeping the leaf next to his right cheek for the whole month.<br/>
Penny took out a small bottle, and offered it to him. ‘Put it in this crystal phial with one of your hairs, and I’ll add the dew and Death’s-Head hawkmoth you collected…’</p><p>Jamie took the phial, and took out the leaf from his mouth pinched between his index and thumb fingers. Covered in his spit, the leaf was placed inside the bottle, alongside a straw-coloured hair he pulled from his head. Handing the bottle to Penny, she added the chrysalis and a silver teaspoonful of dew with great care. ‘What now?’ asked Jamie.<br/>
‘Now we take this mixture to a quiet, dark place where it won’t be disturbed, or touched by sunlight… Come with me.’<br/>
Under her lead, they sneaked into the dungeons and into the Potions Classroom. ‘I can’t think of a better place to keep our Animagus Potion than the Potions classroom.’<br/>
‘It’s certainly one of the darker rooms in the castle…’<br/>
‘And one of the quietest. At least when Snape isn’t yelling at someone.’<br/>
‘Or my cauldron isn’t exploding…’ added Jamie, remembering his first ever Potions Class. ‘Why do we need to store the mixture?’<br/>
‘Because it won’t work unless you drink it during the next electrical storm. Let’s find somewhere to hide it where it won’t be disturbed.’<br/>
Pushing aside a couple of dusty glass jars in a corner of the classroom, Jamie called out to Penny. ‘I think here’ll do…’<br/>
‘Perfect. Oh, I’m so excited for you to become an Animagus! Once you can transform into an animal, you’ll be able to get into places you never thought possible. You’ll break the curses on the vaults, and find your brother in no time!’<br/>
‘I just have to wait for the next electrical storm, and then drink the mixture?’<br/>
‘You’ll need to learn a special Animagus Spell first. Talbott should be able to teach you…’</p><p>Talbott met with Jamie in the Charms Classroom the next morning. When Jamie saw him enter the room, he greeted the Ravenclaw. ‘Thanks for helping me learn this spell, Talbott.’<br/>
‘Well, I’m probably best suited to teach it, so…’<br/>
‘…I’m sure you are…’ Jamie muttered.<br/>
‘We’d better hurry. If you’re drinking the Animagus Potion, you need to learn this spell before the next storm…’ Talbott said, taking out his wand. Jamie mirrored him, and Talbott started going through the motions with Jamie. ‘Repeat the incantation: <em>Amato Amino Animato Animagus</em>. You have to perform this spell every dawn and every dusk until you drink the potion. Now, you may sense a second heartbeat when your wand touches your chest, so don’t be alarmed…’<br/>
‘<em>Amato Amino Animato Animagus!</em>’ Jamie pointed his wand at his heart. His chest glowed with a crimson light for a moment, and he heard in his head the faint sound of a second heartbeat.<br/>
‘Did you feel anything?’<br/>
‘I thought I might have felt a second heartbeat, but it could have been my imagination…’<br/>
‘Well, you’ll need to perform that spell every dawn and every dusk without until the next electrical storm. In the meantime, we should talk to Professor McGonagall. Come.’</p><p>Following the Ravenclaw to the Transfigurations Classroom, Jamie pondered about all the experience Talbott seemed to have with becoming an Animagus, suspecting the boy of being more than met the eye. Jamie was enjoying their conversations; they reminded him of his conversations with Merula, minus the arguing, so basically just the snarky part. </p><p>The classroom was empty save for a cat sitting at the teacher’s desk, and Jamie sat on another desk to wait for the professor. ‘Why did we come to see Professor McGonagall?’<br/>
‘Don’t ask me. Ask that cat,’ Talbott pointed with his head.<br/>
‘The cat…? Are you mad-’ Before he could finish his sentence, the cat jumped into the air, transforming into Professor McGonagall.<br/>
‘No, Mr Smith. He is simply better-informed. The two are often mistaken, as I’m sure you’re aware,’ the stern professor said.<br/>
‘Professor McGonagall! I—’<br/>
McGonagall raised an eyebrow. ‘You know I’m an Animagus. Why are you acting so surprised?’<br/>
‘I’d just never seen you… change before.’<br/>
‘Well, now you have. What can I do for the two of you?’<br/>
Talbott answered for him. ‘James is thinking about becoming an Animagus. I thought she should talk to you about it first…’<br/>
‘It’s certainly something you should consider carefully before coming to a decision,’ she warned.<br/>
‘Do you get to choose which animal you become?’ Jamie asked.<br/>
‘No, as you’ll surely remember from your lessons. It does take great skill, practise, and patience to become an Animagus, though.’<br/>
‘And bad things can happen if the process goes wrong… At least it makes for the perfect disguise,’ Talbott added.<br/>
‘Indeed, Mr Winger. Also interesting to note is that becoming one makes you part of a very exclusive group. So you see, Mr Smith, it has its advantages… As well as an extraordinary amount of effort and risk involved. Once you have become an Animagus, you will also need to register your status with the Ministry of Magic. Isn’t that right, Mr Winger?’ she added, looking at Talbott with a stern look.<br/>
Talbott looked away, guilty. ‘…Yes, Professor.’<br/>
Jamie looked at Talbott with a smirk. ‘I knew it! I knew you were an Animagus!’<br/>
‘An unregistered Animagus,’ the professor noted. ‘An oversight Mr Winger has assured me he will rectify sooner rather than later. If he does not, he knows that I will view it as a personal affront, and drag him to the Ministry myself.’<br/>
Again, Talbott looked at his feet. ‘Yes, Professor.’<br/>
‘Why don’t you just register, Talbott?’ questioned Jamie.<br/>
‘Let me explain over a game of Gobstones…’ proposed Talbott.</p><p>They took a silent walk through the castle, and they had just arrived at the courtyard when Jamie asked Talbott ‘Are you going to tell me why you haven’t registered as an Animagus, Talbott?’<br/>
‘I want to, but I don’t know if I’m ready. The only person I’ve ever told is Professor McGonagall. First, let me ask you something. If you become an Animagus, what animal would you want to be?’<br/>
‘Sounds like you’re stalling so you don’t have to tell me your story…’ Jamie said mockingly.<br/>
‘I definitely am.’<br/>
‘I thought an Animagus doesn’t get to choose their animal form?’<br/>
‘They don’t, but take this very seriously. What type of animal would you want to be?’<br/>
Jamie thought about it for a few moments.’A cat, I suppose. I quite like cats, and I would be able to go anywhere unnoticed.’<br/>
‘A cat, huh? I’m not quite fond of cats, but I suppose it’s as good as anything.’<br/>
‘Are you going to tell me your story now?’<br/>
‘If you can beat me at Gobstones, I’ll do more than that…’ Talbott drew a circle on the ground with his wand, and took out his set of Gobstones. Making themselves ready, they started to play. ‘Good luck, James. I usually win at Gobstones when I don’t get too distracted,’ Talbott said, throwing his marble.<br/>
‘That’s okay, we’re playing Wizard’s Chess anyways…’ Jamie said nonchalantly, throwing his own marble. <br/>
The comment seemed to distract Talbott for a moment, who threw his second marble without much thought. The move wasn’t good enough, and he was sprayed with the nasty liquid. The boy laughed at his own stench. ‘Good game, James. Something tells me it’s not your first time playing Gobstones…’<br/>
‘I’ve learned a trick or two in my time at Hogwarts. Are you ready to tell me your story?’<br/>
‘No, but I need to. I want you to understand why I haven’t registered. And more importantly, we’re friends.’ Talbott took a deep breath, and started explaining, ‘My parents opposed the Death Eaters in the Wizarding War. They weren’t in the Ministry or any special organisation, but they wanted to help fight The Dark Lord’s rebellion. When the Death Eaters finally came to our home, changing forms helped me get away.’ The Ravenclaw looked down, eyes getting teary. ‘But my mum and dad didn’t make it.’<br/>
‘I’m so sorry, Talbott…’<br/>
‘If I registered as an Animagus, the Death Eaters might have known. They could have caught me, and killed me too. I’ve been afraid to register just in case it ever happens again.’<br/>
‘You-Know-Who is dead. He’s not coming back.’<br/>
‘I hope you’re right, Jamie.’<br/>
Jamie smiled at the use of his preferred name. ‘Thanks for telling me what happened.’<br/>
Talbott nodded. ‘It feels good to tell someone. I think it may feel even better to finally register… Mostly because it will get Professor McGonagall off my back.’<br/>
‘Good luck, Talbott.’<br/>
‘Good luck, Jamie. If you become an Animagus, I hope you get to turn into a cat.’ Talbott looked around, and after making sure there was nobody else on sight his body started to morph, shrinking down and turning into a brown eagle. The bird looked up at Jamie, and took flight.</p><p>A few days later, just before entering the Potions classroom with the other Slytherin and Gryffindor students for a double-hour lesson, Jamie saw Penny waiting for him in the dungeon corridor and approached her, curious. ‘Penny?! What are you doing down here?’<br/>
‘The Wizarding Wireless Network News says there’s a massive electrical storm coming, Jamie! If you don’t drink the Animagus Potion when the storm starts, we’ll have to start over from the very beginning!’<br/>
‘But I can’t just grab the potion now! Snape will see.’<br/>
‘Well, you’ll have to get it as soon as the class ends, and we’ll have to hope that the storm doesn’t come too soon…’ Penny said with a worried look. Wishing him luck, she hastily walked towards the nearest staircase to reach her own class on time.</p><p>Near the end of the lesson, when almost everyone else had left, Jamie reached for the hidden potion while acting as if he was putting back some ingredients, but a cold voice startled him. ‘Smith.’<br/>
Turning around, but not before sneaking the potion into his robes, he met Snape’s eyes. ‘Professor Snape!’<br/>
‘Why were you putting your grubby fingers on my ingredients?’<br/>
‘I was just putting some ingredients back in their proper place professor. I wanted to be useful.’<br/>
‘You can try to be useful by getting out of my classroom, Smith. Dismissed.’</p><p>Running to the Courtyard, Jamie waited for Penny and the storm to come. The sky was quickly darkening with purple and black clouds, but Penny arrived first, when it was already night time. ‘Jamie! I’m sorry it took me so long to get here. Did you bring the Animagus Potion?’<br/>
‘I did. Even though Snape nearly killed me.’<br/>
‘Be ready, the storm could be here any second!’
Just as she spoke, a flash crossed the sky, and thunder roared a second after. Quickly pointing his wand at his heart, Jamie recited ‘<em>Amato Amino Animato Animagus!</em>’ Taking the phial with now a blood-red liquid, he drank its contents, his mouth twitching at its taste.<br/>
‘Do you feel any different?’ Penny asked, expectant.<br/>
Jamie opened his mouth, but only a scream of pain came out as he held his side in discomfort, which turned into brief agony as if something was growing inside his chest. He stumbled onto his knees while Penny called out to him with worry, trying to help him remain upright. ‘It’s okay… I feel all right… I’m fine…’ Jamie muttered, feeling with his hands his heartbeat - or rather heartsbeat, as he felt an intense double heartbeat for a few seconds before it faded.<br/>
Penny helped him stand up, as she asked ‘Do you think it worked?’<br/>
‘Only one way to find out…’ Jamie closed his eyes, and concentrated, feeling as if something was coming to him. He imagined himself turning into an animal, seeing a clear image in his head, and felt the ground getting closer as he was left on all four… paws? Opening his eyes, he noticed everything looked different, clearer. He looked at his own body, and saw black and white fur. Feeling the whiskers on his face move with the wind, he knew exactly what he had transformed into. Bellowing a victorious meow, he ran around Penny as the witch laughed. ‘It worked! You’re an Animagus, Jamie!’<br/>
Turning back into a human with some difficulty and concentration, Jamie thanked her. ‘Thanks to you and Talbott. That was so amazing…’<br/>
‘Are you going to register as an Animagus with the Ministry?’<br/>
Jamie shrugged. ‘Don’t see why not to. It’s not like people usually learn the Animagus Registry by heart, so no one should know, and I won’t need to worry about McGonagall or the Ministry being on my back for not registering.’<br/>
‘What’s the first thing you’re going to do with your new abilities?’<br/>
Thinking of paying Hagrid and his puppy Fang a little visit, Jamie grinned. ‘I think I have a fun idea…’</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Face your fears</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After weeks and weeks of classwork, practising spells and recruiting his friends, Jamie met with Tulip, Barnaby and Rowan in front of the Library after curfew. Going over the plan one last time, they sneaked into the Library ready to put it into action. Rowan approached Madam Pince as the rest hid from view, and they heard the vulture-like librarian address the Slytherin bookworm. ‘What are you doing here, Mr Khanna? The Library is closed for the night.’<br/>
‘As you know, no one is a bigger supporter of the Hogwarts Library, and you work, than me, Madam Pince.’<br/>
‘I’ve always considered you to be one of our least reprehensible students. If you don’t leave immediately, that may change…’ she warned in a stern voice.<br/>
Rowan looked away from her in apparent shame. ‘I remembered I left my Self-Inking Quill on a scroll in the farthest row. By now, it may have ruined every book in that entire shelf…’ His acting was spot-on, as even Jamie had a hard time believing it was a lie.<br/>
Madam Pince started running to the shelves Rowan had pointed to. ‘How could you?! I have to remove it immediately!’</p><p>Coming out of hiding, the rest joined Rowan when the librarian was out of sight. ‘Not bad, bookworm,’ Tulip complimented.<br/>
‘I’ve read my fair share of practical joke books,’ admitted Rowan with a grin.<br/>
Jamie returned them to the task at hand. ‘Pince won’t be gone for long. Let’s get to the Restricted Section.’<br/>
Reaching the chained gate, Jamie took out his wand, just as two figures appeared behind them. ‘Following me again, Smith?’ asked one of the figures sarcastically, making the team turn around.<br/>
‘Fancy meeting you here, Merula. Did you want anything?’ Jamie asked with fake curiosity, as if they were old friends who had just bumped into each other.<br/>
‘I want what’s inside the Cursed Vault. Same as you. Just for a much less pitiful reason,’ she sneered.<br/>
‘I just want to watch you all bleed,’ Ismelda said in a cruel tone, earning a frown from Jamie and his friends and a roll of the eyes from Merula.<br/>
Barnaby stomped his foot. ‘Walk out the door before I knock both of you through the wall.’<br/>
Merula looked at him with an eyebrow raised. ‘Barnaby, you idiot, you can’t fight me.’<br/>
‘It’s my job to fight you,’ he insisted, before turning to Jamie with a slightly confused expression. ‘Isn’t it?’<br/>
Jamie patted him in the shoulder. ‘It’s okay, Barnaby. This is between Merula and me…’ He stepped forward, his wand still in his hand, pointing with it at the Slytherin witch, who reacted accordingly. The two opponents stared at each other, waiting to dodge the attack their enemy would surely launch at them. Jamie suddenly raised his wand at her face. ‘<em>Flipendo!</em>’<br/>
His target dodged the attack with a side-step as he had expected and he pointed at her legs just as she did so, casting a second spell immediately before she could cast anything. ‘<em>Carpe Retractum</em>!’<br/>
An orange tendril shot from his wand and attached itself to her left combat boot. He pulled with all his might, taking her to the ground with a yelp and a thump. From his duel with Barnaby, Jamie had learned his mistake with the Seize and Pull Charm, and had thought of ways to avoid making the same mistake. Before she got up, a well-aimed Disarming Charm from Jamie’s wand left her wandless. ‘I beat you again, Merula. It’s finished.’<br/>
Merula got up, rubbing her head and shoulder, and staggered for her wand, a look of utter embarrassment on her face. Ismelda sneered. ‘Finished? I haven’t even started… <em>Everte Statum</em>!’<br/>
Her spell hit Barnaby, who had pushed Jamie out of the way when Ismelda had raised her wand, sending the boy to the ground. He shook his head, taking out his wand and standing back up.<br/>
‘Get out of the way, you glorified troll!’ Merula yelled.<br/>
‘No. I don’t take orders from you anymore.’<br/>
‘Then you can suffer with your new friends…’ Ismelda grinned maliciously.<br/>
Barnaby took his stance, telling his friends ‘Go! I’ll hold them off. That was the plan, remember?’<br/>
‘Good on him for remembering. Let’s go! Into the Restricted Section!’ Tulip said. They opened the lock with the Unlocking Charm, while Barnaby started firing and receiving spells behind them. Leaving the duellers they entered the Restricted Section, searching frantically for a place to use the book they found in the Ice Vault on. After going through all the shelves, Jamie saw only one fitting gap in the books. Desperate and willing to try anything, Jamie placed the mysterious book in it. With a loud rumble, the shelf opened up to reveal a huge door. ‘You did it, James Smith!’ Tulip congratulated.<br/>
Barnaby limped past the barrier, saying ‘I got rid of Merula and Ismelda, but if I know them, they’ll run straight to Snape…’<br/>
Jamie nodded. ‘Then we’d better enter the Cursed Vault.’</p><p>Behind the door in the shelves, they found themselves in an hexagonal room Jamie recognised as the Cursed Vault. The usual statues on the wall were covered with the outlines of nightmarish creatures. The central column awaited them, glowing orange. ‘Did the other vault look like this?!’ Tulip asked, looking around the room with wide eyes.<br/>
‘Yes… But no. Not nearly this terrifying…’ Jamie thought out loud.<br/>
‘I don’t think the curse has been broken…’ Rowan muttered.<br/>
‘<em>Nox…</em>’ a cold, high whisper went through the room.<br/>
‘Who said that?!’ Jamie asked, panicking.<br/>
‘You-Know-Who…’ Barnaby managed to say before the whole room went dark. They were suddenly standing in the middle of... nothing. They could see each other clearly, but darkness consumed the walls and floor. Voldemort rose in front of them, multiplying into three. ‘<em>Avada Kedavra!</em>’ the Boggarts yelled, pointing their wands at them. A mist came from the tip, engulfing them. When the mist cleared, Jamie saw that he was standing alone, his friends each being held by a Voldemort. Jamie felt paralysed. After a few seconds of internal struggle, he raised his own wand, overcoming his immense fears for the sake of his companions.<br/>
‘NO! I won’t let you take them! <em>Riddikulus!</em>’ He pointed at the nearest Boggart, which was holding Rowan at wand-point. The creature turned into the clown Jamie had already seen before, disappearing when Rowan started laughing at the sight of You-Know-Oops. Jamie pointed at the one that was holding Barnaby. ‘<em>Riddikulus!</em>’ The second Boggart did the same as the first, and disappeared. Turning to the final one holding Tulip, Jamie tried the spell again, and again succeeded.<br/>
‘Thanks, Jamie…’ Rowan said.<br/>
‘Don’t thank me yet. It’s not over.’<br/>
‘Jacob’s research talks about facing your greatest fear. You beat the Boggarts, but… maybe we should say our fears out loud!’ Tulip pointed out.<br/>
Jamie agreed to try. ‘It might work. I’ll start. V-voldemort!’<br/>
‘Merula!’<br/>
‘Failing my exams!’<br/>
‘Clowns!’<br/>
Everyone looked at Barnaby. ‘Clowns?’ asked Tulip.<br/>
‘I can’t be the only one who thought those Boggarts were more frightening after Jamie cast <em>Riddikulus</em>.’<br/>
Before Jamie could agree about the clown problem, he felt something. ‘It’s not working… Something’s wrong…’ His sight became hazy, and he heard a voice saying ‘It’s too late, Jamie…’<br/>
‘Jacob? I don’t understand…’<br/>
‘It’s already inside you.’ The voice went away, and Jamie returned to see his friends looking at him concerned. Before anyone could say anything, Barnaby disappeared in a white cloud. Then Rowan. Then Tulip. </p><p>Jamie was left alone, and another Voldemort appeared again in front of the boy. ‘There is nothing worse than death…’ said the Dark Lord, pointing at Jamie with his wand. A green light shot through the darkness, hitting Jamie in the chest. The illusion hurt like hell, but it wasn’t lethal. The Boggart-Banishing Charm wouldn’t cut it, thought Jamie. ‘<em>Petrificus Totalus!</em>’ The spell hit the Boggart in the chest, and it froze for a few moments, clearly affected by the charm, but its effects wore off much quicker than usual. Dodging the green blasts, Jamie kept casting spells and curses at the Boggart. ‘<em>Flipendo! Incendio! Immobulus! Depulso! DEPULSO!</em>’<br/>
The Boggart and Jamie kept their duel, exchanging blows. Every muscle in Jamie’s body was screaming in pain, but he kept fighting, finally bringing The Dark Lord to his knees. ‘<em>This better work</em>’, thought Jamie, as he raised his wand again. ‘<em>Riddikulus</em>’<br/>
You-Know-Who became You-Know-Oops, dancing for his audience of one. Sore and tired, Jamie started laughing at his victory, watching as the (truly terrifying) clown disappeared in a cloud of bubbles.</p><p>Suddenly, the four friends were back in the Cursed Vault, in front of the orange pillar. ‘James! Are you okay?!’ Tulip asked Jamie, who was still chuckling and rubbing his pained side. He suddenly realized he was on the ground, standing up with a groan.<br/>
‘What happened?’ Jamie asked them, nodding at Tulip.<br/>
‘I don’t know. You were frozen. Suspended in the air like a puppet.’<br/>
Jamie looked at everyone. ‘Is everyone all right?’<br/>
Tulip answered ‘We’re fine. I don’t know if the curse is broken or not, but we have to get out of this room.’<br/>
Jamie shook his head. ‘No. Not yet- Not until we get what we came for…’ Turning to the glass column, he reached with his hand and touched it. The pillar remained still. ‘I don’t understand. All I did was touch the last one and it opened…’<br/>
Tulip pointed at the base of the pillar. ‘There’s something written here: “To open, a wizard must make the ultimate sacrifice.” You have to die to open the vault?’<br/>
Jamie put his hand in his pocket, feeling the pieces of his brother’s broken wand, which he'd taken along the book for that night, just in case. ‘No… I think it means you have to be willing to give up magic. Jacob understood…’<br/>
‘What do you mean?’ Rowan asked.<br/>
Jamie took out the bits of wood. ‘I thought Jacob’s wand was broken when he was expelled, but what if he broke it himself… to open this vault? I’ve kept the broken pieces with me all this time… Maybe if I touch them to the column…’ He reached again, touching the column with the broken wand. The glass panes rotated, lowering and opening the column.<br/>
‘Unbelievable! It worked! What’s inside?’ Tulip jumped up in excitement.<br/>
Jamie looked at the light inside the column. A piece of parchment and an arrow with no arrow tip floated inside. ‘It’s a map… of the Forbidden Forest? And an arrow?’<br/>
‘We’ll work it out somewhere else. If these fake You-Know-Whos don’t get us again, Pince or Snape surely will…’ Tulip said.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Trouble with Talbott</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A couple of days had passed since Jamie and his friends had broken into the Vault of Fear, and no teacher had yet asked any questions or accused them of anything. Boggart attacks seemed to have slowed down, though if they had truly stopped they did not know yet. Staring into his bowl of soup, Jamie waited patiently for his friend to arrive. The Hufflepuff he had been waiting for the past few minutes sat in front of him, a gloomy look on her face. ‘Thanks for waiting for me, Jamie.’<br/>
‘Of course, Penny. What’s wrong?’<br/>
Penny looked around, and said in a whisper ‘It’s Talbott…’<br/>
‘Winger? What’s wrong? Is he hurt?’ Jamie asked, making sure he kept his voice down.<br/>
‘No… At least, I hope not. He’s been spending all of his time alone recently.’<br/>
Jamie raised an eyebrow. ‘Is that it? It’s not strange for him to keep to himself.’<br/>
‘I know he’s a… private person, but I’ve been his friend for a while. I can tell something’s wrong. Plus, he’s been missing class, even Transfiguration, and that’s his favourite.’ She sighed. ‘I’d ask him what’s wrong myself, but I haven’t been able to find him. I think he’s been avoiding me. That’s why I asked you to meet, actually. I was hoping you might know where he is.’<br/>
Jamie’s eyes narrowed. It was strange for Talbott to miss class indeed; and Penny’s intuition about someone’s state of mind was usually correct. Trying to remember his recent classes in common with Ravenclaws, he shook his head. ‘Sorry, Penny. I haven’t seen him at all recently. But we can ask around. Surely someone has to have seen Talbott.’</p><p>After talking with their Ravenclaw friends, and even asking Professor Flitwick about Talbott, a conclusion was reached. Talbott was avoiding everyone, and had not been seen by anyone for the past few days. ‘Though I’m glad he’s not only avoiding me, now I’m even more worried…’ Penny noted. Looking at her watch, she jumped from her seat. ‘I want to keep looking for him, but I promised I’d tutor a few first-years in potions now…’<br/>
‘Don’t worry, Penny. I’ll find and talk to him,’ Jamie assured her with a smile.<br/>
‘Really? You’ll check on Talbott for me? Why?’ Penny asked, slightly confused.<br/>
‘He’s my friend, sort of. We’re still working it out. And now I’m worried about him, I want to make sure he’s okay too,’ Jamie explained, getting up as well.<br/>
Penny smiled, relieved. They started to walk down the Great Hall towards the door. ‘Thanks, Jamie. It’s a relief knowing you’ll be there for him if he does need help. Talbott might say he’d rather be alone, but I don’t think he really means it. Let me know how it goes and if you need any help.’<br/>
Reaching the doors, Jamie turned to Penny. ‘Of course! I’ll look for Talbott. Good luck with those first-years!’</p><p>Penny waved and turned around, walking towards the Grand Staircase. As Jamie saw her leave, a paper aeroplane glided in front of him and landed on his right shoulder. Unfolding it, it revealed a short message: “Courtyard, now.” The message had no name, though Jamie could bet it came from a very specific Ravenclaw. Stuffing the paper into his pocket, he walked towards the courtyard.</p><p>The summer evening greeted him as he walked outside, and he saw the very elusive Talbott Winger sitting on the stone fountain, waiting. Jamie approached him, with a half-smile. ‘Talbott! When I said I’d look for you, I wasn’t expecting you’d reach out and agree to meet me here first. I’m slightly disappointed, really…’ He said, mockingly.<br/>
‘So it’s true that you and Penny were looking for me.’ Talbott’s reply was cold, and Jamie was genuinely disappointed that the Animagus had not replied with his usual snarkyness.<br/>
‘How did you even hear that? No one in the Great Hall had seen or talked to you in days…’<br/>
A smirk formed on his face. ‘A little birdie told me.’<br/>
Jamie chuckled. ‘Nice try, but bird puns won’t distract me from asking about what’s going on with you.’<br/>
‘It was worth a shot.’<br/>
‘Talbott, I’m being serious. Having some alone time I understand, but you’ve even been missing class. That’s not normal from you. One can’t help but worry. Penny especially so.’<br/>
Talbott shrugged. ‘I appreciate the concern, but as you can see, I’m fine.’<br/>
‘Are you actually fine? Or are you just lying and telling me you’re fine so I’ll leave you alone?’<br/>
‘If I tell you I’m lying, will you keep pressing me to find out what’s wrong?’ he asked with a sigh, getting up from his seating position.<br/>
‘Yes.’<br/>
‘Then I’m actually fine.’<br/>
‘Talbott!’<br/>
Talbott looked at his feet, kicking a rock. ‘So I’ve spent a lot of time alone lately. That’s not exactly newsworthy. Why do you care if there’s something bothering me anyway?’<br/>
‘I’m not worried if you just want to be alone, but Penny thought there was something wrong, and she’s usually correct about these thing.’<br/>
‘Penny’s really worried? Why?’<br/>
‘She thinks you’re avoiding her.’<br/>
Frowning, Talbott sat again. ‘I’m not trying to make Penny worried, and I’m definitely not avoiding her specifically. I just have some things I need to handle on my own.’<br/>
Sitting at his side, Jamie relented a bit. ‘Look, we don’t have to talk about what’s wrong if you don’t want to. Tell you what I do want to do, though: Gobstones. Want to join?’<br/>
‘Oh… Sure, why not.’<br/>
‘But if I win, you have to at least consider telling me why you’ve been extra distant layely,’ Jamie added, with a sly smile.<br/>
‘And if I win?’<br/>
‘I’ll tell Penny you’re actually fine, and never bring any of this up again.’<br/>
Looking at Jamie with narrowed eyes and a smirk, Talbott nodded. ‘Alright, James. If you beat me at Gobstones, I promise to hear you out.’ The two students sat on the ground opposite of each other, outside of a circle Jamie drew with a piece of chalk. ‘But your distractions won’t work this time, James. I don’t intend to lose. I’ve even been practising Gobstones.’<br/>
‘That’s nice,’ Jamie said, as Talbott prepared to throw his marble. ‘Personally, I’ve done the odd spying job for the Ministry.’ The comment threw Talbott off guard, making his move a little worse than it would have been.<br/>
Chuckling, Talbott saw Jamie throw his own marble, getting the upper hand in the game. ‘I’ll admit, I didn’t see that coming. But distractions won’t save you…’<br/>
‘Distractions? What distractions? I’m just making small talk…’</p><p>A while later, the game ended, with Talbott getting sprayed again by the Gobstones. ‘Alright, James. You won. Just like I promised, I’ll hear you out.’<br/>
‘Talbott, I know you don’t like talking about yourself, but don’t be afraid to tell me if something’s bothering you. You trusted me with your secret that you’re an unregistered Animagus, I know how much trust that requires. I hope you know you can tell me anything.’<br/>
‘Shh!’ Talbott looked around, eyes wide open.<br/>
‘I know you don’t want to talk, but you don’t have to be rude,’ Jamie sneered.<br/>
‘No, I mean, I heard footsteps. I think there’s someone listening…’ The Ravenclaw explained, still looking around the (apparently) empty Courtyard. For a few seconds, nothing moved, as both teens scanned the area. Talbott took out his wand, and pointed it at a point a few feet away from them. ‘<em>Homenum Revelio!</em>’</p><p>Merula Snyde appeared out of thin air, looking rather alarmed at being discovered. ‘Merula?! You were spying on us?!’ Jamie asked.<br/>
‘She must have been under a Disillusionment Charm. That would explain why we didn’t notice her until she moved…’ Talbott mused, still pointing his wand at the intruder. ‘How much did you hear?’<br/>
‘Nothing… I was just passing through,’ Merula said, shifting her eyes from side to side.<br/>
‘Like I’d believe that. People who are “just passing through” don’t use Concealment Charms.’<br/>
Merula rolled her eyes. ‘Even if I had heard you, what makes you think I’m interested in your little gossip? I have better things to do with my time…’ Ignoring Talbott’s wand, she turned around and walked away into the castle.</p><p>With a groan, Talbott lowered his wand when she was out of sight. ‘She had to have heard I’m an unregistered Animagus. If that’s not bad enough, everyone in school knows her parents are in Azkaban for supporting You-Know-Who! The child of two Death Eaters knows I’m an unregistered Animagus!’<br/>
Seeing Talbott’s wand hand shake with hatred, Jamie raised his hands to calm him down. ‘I’m so sorry, Talbott. I had no idea she was listening in on us.’<br/>
Talbott put his wand away, still with a scowl. ‘It’s fine…’<br/>
‘Let me talk to Merula. Maybe I can…’<br/>
‘No offense, Smith, but you’ve done enough,’ Talbott cut him off.<br/>
‘But I know Merula. I can at least try to convince her to keep your secret. I’ll go find Merula and talk to her right now.’<br/>
‘Thanks, but I don’t need any more of your help. I’ll handle Merula on my own.’ The Ravenclaw walked off, leaving Jamie pondering about his next move. With a sigh, he strolled off to the dungeons, towards the Slytherin Common Room, ready to get to bed.</p><p>Walking through the damp corridors, Jamie saw a light coming from the Potions classroom. ‘<em>Classes are over</em>,’ thought Jamie. ‘<em>Maybe Snape's brewing something?</em>’ Curious, he peeked through the crack of the door, and saw Merula working over a steaming cauldron, with no one else in sight. Slipping into the classroom, he sat quietly on an empty stool at the same table. Without taking her eyes off the potion, Merula asked in annoyance ‘What do you want, Smith? I’m studying.’<br/>
‘Oh, I was just hoping we could talk. You know, catch up...’ Jamie muttered, trying to ease the tension.<br/>
‘If this is about you and Winger, I already told you that I didn’t hear anything.’<br/>
‘Miss Snyde, you’re an atrocious liar, particularly for a Slytherin,’ Jamie said, imitating Snape, before returning to his normal voice. ‘Come on, do you think I’m daft enough to believe that?’<br/>
Merula finally looked at him, smirking. ‘Are you sure you want me to answer that question?’<br/>
‘No need, we all know the answer. Why were you spying on us, Merula?’<br/>
Merula tapped the wooden spoon she used to stir the cauldron with her wand and with a whispered incantation, and the spoon began to stir on its own. Turning to face Jamie, she asked ‘Why are you so incredibly annoying?’<br/>
‘Look, Merula, you can keep avoiding the subject all you want, but I’m not leaving until you agree to talk, so you might as well cooperate.’<br/>
The Slytherin witch groaned. ‘You’re not really going to go away until I do, are you?’<br/>
Jamie smirked. ‘Are you sure you want me to answer that question?’<br/>
‘Fine, but I’m going to finish this potion first, so you might as well grab a beaker and make yourself useful,’ she agreed with a pout.<br/>
‘Fair enough. What do you need me to do?’<br/>
As time passed, they finished the potion, with Jamie following Merula’s directions. When the girl was happy enough with the results, she turned to her classmate. ‘Fine, I admit it. I was listening in on you and Winger. But only because I thought you had something on the next Cursed Vault.’<br/>
‘So you were lying.’<br/>
‘Yes, alright, I lied about not hearing anything. So what?’ she said, rolling her eyes.<br/>
‘I… I suppose I can’t really blame you. I’d have done the same if I were in your position,’ Jamie admitted with a groan.<br/>
‘I wasn’t spying, I was keeping an eye on my competition,’ Merula noted with sarcasm. She frowned. ‘And what’s that supposed to mean?’<br/>
Jamie waved his hand, changing the subject. ‘So just to be clear, you weren’t spying on Talbott and I to try to learn our secrets? Other than Cursed Vaults, I mean.’<br/>
‘Like I said, I wasn’t spying, I was keeping an eye on my competition. And why else would I be interested in you and your odd friends?’<br/>
‘I’m not sure whether to be relieved or insulted…’<br/>
‘If that’s all…’ Merula motioned towards the door.<br/>
‘One last thing, Merula. The real reason I came was to convince you not to tell anyone about Talbott’s secret.’<br/>
‘Why shouldn’t I tell anyone that Winger is an unregistered Animagus?’ she asked, with a curious look on her face.<br/>
Leaning towards her, as if telling her a secret, he whispered into her ear ‘Because I’ll be owing you one.’<br/>
Leaning back, he waited for her reply as she considered his words. ‘Now <em>that</em> is  an interesting proposition, Smith.’ She leaned towards him as he had just done, and whispered ‘But you shouldn’t make promises you don’t intend to keep.’<br/>
‘Then I’ll make sure to keep it. So will you keep Talbott’s secret?’<br/>
‘We’ll see, won’t we?’<br/>
‘Merula, this is serious.’<br/>
‘I am being serious,’ she said as she stood up, walking out of the classroom.<br/>
Jamie was left alone in the classroom, disappointed with the results of the conversation. ‘I better find Talbott and warn him about Merula…’ he muttered, leaving the classroom as well. It was well past bedtime, so all he could do was to sneak into the Slytherin Common Room and wait for the morning.</p><p>During the next Hogsmeade trip, Talbott and Jamie met in the Three Broomsticks. Sitting in a table in a corner of the pub, Jamie greeted the Ravenclaw. ‘Thanks for coming, Talbott. After Merula heard me blurt out your secret, I was worried you wouldn’t show.’<br/>
‘I figured I owed it to you to say that I don’t blame you for what happened. You couldn’t have known Merula was hiding and listening.’<br/>
‘Does that mean you’ll let me help you deal with her?’ asked Jamie, hopeful.<br/>
Talbott shook his head. ‘No. It’s still best if I take care of this on my own.’<br/>
‘What happened was an accident, but Merula wouldn’t know you’re unregistered if not for me. I need to help fix this,’ Jamie insisted.<br/>
‘Don’t you think I can handle this by myself?’<br/>
‘Of course not, but you don’t have to handle it by yourself. It’s not always easy to let people help you, but I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t accepted help with the Cursed Vaults.’<br/>
Talbott took a deep breath. ‘Fine, I’ll let you help me. Do you really think we should try to convince Merula to keep my secret?’<br/>
Jamie scratched the back of his head, slightly ashamed. ‘Actually, I already tried. I know you told me not to get involved, but I really thought I could help…’<br/>
‘“Tried”? I take it that it didn’t go well?’<br/>
‘She didn’t seem especially interested in reporting you, but she didn’t promise she wouldn’t, either.’<br/>
‘Then I guess we have no choice. We’ll have to use a Memory Charm on Merula to make her forget what she heard,’ Talbott said coldly.<br/>
Jamie was taken aback by the suggestion. ‘You can’t just go around modifying people’s memories! Besides, Memory Charms are pretty serious magic. Something could go wrong. It could backfire, or we could do serious damage to her memory.’<br/>
‘So we’ll be careful,’ Talbott shrugged.<br/>
‘Not to mention we could get in trouble if the professors find out!’ Jamie again tried to convince him.<br/>
‘Since when has the threat of getting in trouble ever stopped you? Look, I’m not exactly thrilled about the idea either, but I can’t trust Merula to keep my secret. And I certainly don’t want to end up in Azkaban when the Ministry finds out I’m unregistered.’ Talbott stroked his chin. ‘Though I’m not sure how we’re going to learn it…’<br/>
Jamie sighed in defeat. ‘Let’s go ask Flitwick. If we’re careful, I bet we can convince him to teach us.’</p><p>‘Thanks for agreeing to meet with us, Professor Flitwick. We were hoping you could help us with a… tricky charm,’ Jamie told the tiny professor, who was standing atop a pile of books in his classroom.<br/>
‘Of course, Mr Smith! It’s so encouraging to see students eager to further their education outside of class,’ the teacher said with his usual kind smile. ‘I’d be happy to help with whatever you’d like to learn.’<br/>
‘Great, because we were hoping you could teach us the Memory Charm, <em>Obliviate</em>,’ Talbott said.<br/>
Flitwick looked at him, shocked. ‘I’d be happy to help with whatever you’d like to learn BUT that! Are you sure you’re not interested in learning the lessons you missed during your absences, Mr Winger?’<br/>
‘Please, Professor Flitwick. We understand it’s not a spell to be taken lightly, but we feel we’re ready,’ Jamie practically begged.<br/>
‘I assume you have a good reason as to why I should teach you <em>Obliviate</em>?’ Flitwick asked, with an eyebrow raised.<br/>
‘Talbott wanted to learn it by any means necessary, and I thought it would be better if someone competent taught it to us. But if you won’t, then we’ll have to study it ourselves…’<br/>
Flitwick looked between the teens, thinking. He then spoke with a serious voice. ‘While I cannot approve of your decision, Mr Winger, I cannot allow you to learn it on your own and possibly cause a disaster. I will teach you, only to make sure that you are capable of controlling such a spell. Please take out your wands.’</p><p>Professor Flitwick taught them the wand movement, as well as the level of concentration they had to maintain to properly cast the spell. After a good while of going through the theory and the motions, Jamie felt he finally understood the spell. ‘Thanks for teaching us <em>Obliviate</em>, Professor.’<br/>
‘I trust I don’t need to remind you that the Memory Charm can be dangerous…’ the teacher said. ‘A crucial part of learning <em>Obliviate</em> is recognising when – and when not – to use it.’<br/>
Jamie nodded. ‘Of course, Professor. We understand.’<br/>
‘We won’t misuse it,’ Talbott assured. He then turned towards Jamie. ‘James, should you try casting <em>Obliviate</em> on someone so Professor Flitwick can make sure you’re doing it right?’<br/>
‘Mr Winger has a point. It would be safer if I were able to monitor your first time casting.’<br/>
Talbott scratched his chin in though. ‘Still, you can’t exactly practise on a training dummy. You’re going to have to try it out on one of us.’<br/>
Jamie raised his wand, nodding. ‘No offense, Talbott, but I’d feel more comfortable casting <em>Obliviate</em> on you.’<br/>
The Ravenclaw chuckled. ‘I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same. Just try not to make me forget something important.’<br/>
Flitwick cleared his throat. ‘Rather than erase a pre-existing memory, it might be easier if you tell Mr Winger a new piece of information, something he didn’t know before and wouldn’t forget, then use the Memory Charm to erase that memory.’<br/>
‘If you’re just going to erase my memory of it, you might as well tell me an interesting secret, James,’ Talbott agreed with the idea.<br/>
Jamie thought about it, picking one secret he hadn’t told anyone yet. ‘I think someone close to me is the mysterious R, or is working for R, and I’m not sure who to trust anymore…’ He pointed his wand at Talbott’s face, and Talbott nodded. ‘<em>Obliviate!</em>’</p><p>Jamie and Talbott sneaked into the Courtyard, under the night sky. ‘Did you invite Merula?’ Jamie asked.<br/>
‘Yes, I had an owl deliver her a mysterious note asking to meet her here to share information on the Cursed Vaults. She should be here any minute.’<br/>
‘You used one of the owls of the Owlery, I assume?’<br/>
‘Yes. I’ve quite the bond with those owls… I spend a lot of time in the Owlery, and owls don’t judge.’ Looking at the entrance gate, he positioned himself behind one of the pillars of the fountain. ‘We should get ready. You need to be prepared to cast <em>Obliviate</em> on Merula when she arrives.’<br/>
Jamie took out his wand, having second thoughts. ‘I know that was the plan, but I’m just not sure. It still feels risky, and I’m not sure if it’s right to tamper with memory…’<br/>
‘So you’re willing to put my safety at risk because of a feeling?’ Talbott snapped at him. ‘Merula will be fine. I’m counting on you to do what’s best, James.’ He pointed at a figure that was coming down the hallway. ‘She’s coming. Quick, get your wand ready!’<br/>
The Slytherin girl came into view, stepping into the cloistered courtyard. Looking around with a confused expression, she searched for the mysterious summoner. ‘Are you there? Is this one of your tricks again, Tulip? Or is it you, Smith? Answer me!’</p><p>Jamie and Talbott left their hiding place, and Merula turned to them, annoyed. ‘What do you want, Smith? I was supposed to meet someone important…’<br/>
Reading his wand, Jamie spoke softly. ‘Merula, we…’<br/>
‘Wait, is this about Winger being an unregistered Animagus again?’<br/>
Talbott stomped his foot, his face twisted in anger. ‘Now’s our chance, James. Use the Memory Charm on Merula.’<br/>
Looking from Talbott to Merula, and back to Talbott again, Jamie lowered his wand, and shook his head. ‘No. I’m sorry, Talbott, but I won’t do it.’<br/>
‘You were going to use <em>what</em> on me?!’ Merula cried, indignant.<br/>
Talbott took out his own wand, losing his temper. ‘But she knows I’m an unregistered Animagus, Smith! We can’t trust her! For all we know, she’s planning to run off to the Ministry to get me thrown in Azkaban right now!’<br/>
‘Is that what this is about?’ Merula asked with a roll of her eyes.<br/>
Pointing at her face, Talbott said ‘If you won’t do it then I will.’<br/>
‘<em>Expelliarmus!</em>’ Before Talbott could cast the spell, Jamie had raised his own wand at Talbott’s, swiftly disarming him with the experience of countless duels. Talbott looked at him with a furious look, a far cry from his usual stoic expression, and Jamie said calmly ‘Just let me explain. If you’re still not convinced by the time I’m done, I’ll cast the Memory Charm on Merula myself.’<br/>
‘Hello? Don’t I get any say in this?’ Merula interrupted, slightly confused at the whole ordeal.<br/>
‘Not now, Merula,’ Jamie shushed her, positioning himself between the other two, facing Talbott.<br/>
‘It doesn’t look like I have much of a choice. But you’re going to have a hard time convincing me to trust her,’ Talbott noted.<br/>
‘I understand. I know better than anyone Merula doesn’t exactly… have the greatest track record.’<br/>
Merula stomped her foot. ‘Hey!’<br/>
Ignoring her, Jamie continued. ‘And I know she wouldn’t promise to keep your secret… But she didn’t seem interested in exposing your secret either. Plus, not even Merula would ruin the life of someone she barely knows for no reason. Unless you happen to be me, of course.’<br/>
‘That’s enough! I am capable of speaking for myself, you know!’ Merula yelled, pushing Jamie out of the way, staring at Talbott. Turning her frown to a more understanding look, she said ‘What Smith is trying but failing miserably to say is… I’ve seen what Azkaban is like. And I’ll deny this if you speak of it again, but… I wouldn’t wish that on anybody, not even Smith.’<br/>
‘That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, Merula,’ Jamie taunted.<br/>
‘Don’t get used to it.’<br/>
‘Too late. So what do you think, Talbott? Do you trust Merula?’<br/>
‘No,’ Before Jamie could say anything, Talbott continued. ‘But I also don’t think she’s lying about Azkaban, so I’ll trust your judgement, James.’<br/>
Jamie gave him a tired smile. ‘Thanks, Talbott.’<br/>
‘Yeah, thanks,’ Merula muttered without thinking, before correcting herself. ‘Wait, what am I saying? I don’t care if you believe me. I better go see Madam Pomfrey. I must be ill.’ Turning around, she walked away from the other two, back into the castle.<br/>
When she was out of the courtyard, Talbott looked down guiltily. ‘Since we’re being honest, I felt uncomfortable using <em>Obliviate</em> too, but I didn’t think I had any other choice. I’m glad I listened to you.’<br/>
‘Of course, Talbott. Maybe now we can talk about why you’ve been missing class and avoiding everyone. You know, as… friends?’<br/>
Talbott looked at him, shaking his head. ‘It’s not that I’m not grateful for what you did, James… But this doesn’t change anything. You’re not my friend. And I still don’t’ want to talk about it.’<br/>
Jamie looked down at his feet, defeated. ‘I’m going to see Penny tomorrow. Why don’t you come hang out with us? We don’t have to talk.’<br/>
‘I’ll pass. Tell Penny not to worry about me.’</p><p>Walking into the courtyard under the hot sun, Jamie approached the Ravenclaw he had been looking for. Just minutes ago he had heard Talbott was there, and he was more than glad to see it was correct. The past couple of days, right after the incident with the Memory Charm, Jamie had learned quite a lot about Talbott from Penny and Professor McGonagall, hellbent on helping him with whatever was bothering him. ‘Good, you’re still here, Talbott.’<br/>
Turning to the Slytherin, Talbott groaned. ‘I appreciate that you’re so concerned about me, James, but I’m busy…’<br/>
‘…Looking for your feather necklace?’<br/>
‘Who told you?’ Talbott asked, surprised.<br/>
‘A little birdie,’ Jamie answered with a smirk.<br/>
‘Fine, don’t tell me. I’m guessing it was McGonagall? She’s the only one I told.’<br/>
‘She only told me because she’s worried about you, Talbott.’<br/>
‘She’s worried about me? Why?’<br/>
‘Missing class without warning tends to do the trick, or so I’m told,’ Jamie noted.<br/>
Talbott’s shoulders slumped. ‘When you put it that way, it does sound rather bad…’<br/>
‘My point is, just let me help you already! It’s obvious there was something wrong, and I can help.’<br/>
‘You might be right, James. I don’t have any reason to not trust you…’ Talbott said with a sigh. ‘Plus it’s not like keeping this to myself has gotten me any closer to finding my necklace. Alright, I’ll take you up on your offer to help… But we’re still not friends.’<br/>
‘If you say so… Still, you made a smart choice. I was beginning to question the Sorting Hat’s decision to put you in Ravenclaw.’ Ignoring Talbott’s eye roll, he commented ‘This necklace must be pretty important for you to be so upset about it going missing.’<br/>
‘I guess you do deserve an explanation. The necklace was a gift from my mum. She made one for my dad and me not long before they were killed. She was a swan Animagus. She made it with one of her own feathers.’ His voice started to break. ‘It’s one of the only things I have left of her…’<br/>
Jamie looked at his devastated friend with pity. ‘I’m so sorry, Talbott. I can see why you’re so upset.’<br/>
‘It’s my fault. I thought it would be safe if I always kept it under my robes, but the clasp must’ve come loose. By the time I noticed, it was long gone. I’ve already searched the Owlery, the Forbidden Forest, the Training Grounds, and the Ravenclaw dorm, but no luck. I was just about to check the Courtyard again.’<br/>
‘Don’t worry, Talbott. We’ll find your necklace. Let’s search around and see what we can find,’ Jamie said, encouragingly.</p><p>After an extensive search of the place, nothing had been found. ‘We searched this whole courtyard, including inside the fountain. My necklace isn’t here,’ Talbott said, defeated.<br/>
‘Maybe we should retrace your steps, Talbott. Can you remember all the places you’ve been?’<br/>
‘Not sure… But probably the Herbology greenhouses. I’m always in there taking care of the plants.’<br/>
‘Then that’s where we’ll search next.’</p><p>They didn’t find the necklace anywhere in the greenhouses, nor the Library, nor the Charms Classroom. And yet, none of those searches seemed pointless, for Jamie was learning more and more about Talbott. His love of Herbology that came from helping his mother tend to their garden; his fondness of reading and writing poetry that his father gave him… And as Jamie learnt more and more, Talbott and he grew closer, though the Ravenclaw still didn’t call him a friend. Searching the Training Grounds again, this time in their Animagi forms, something was found: the broken clasp of the necklace, along with two sets of footprints nearby, a human’s and a cat’s. Immediately Filch and Mrs Norris came to mind, and they decided to break into his office again. Sneaking into the dark room, Jamie said ‘If Filch did find and take your necklace, he might be storing it here with the resto of his confiscated goods.’<br/>
Scratching the back of his head, Talbott looked at the door. ‘I still can’t believe Filch makes it so easy to sneak into his office.’<br/>
‘Getting in might be easy, but we still need to find your necklace and leave before Filch returns from his patrol,’ Jamie reminded him.<br/>
‘Then let’s not waste any more time,’ said Talbott, rummaging through the nearest shelf.</p><p>Shaking his head and closing the final cabinet there was left, Talbott looked at Jamie. ‘I searched every drawer, box, and cabinet twice, but I couldn’t find the necklace. What about you?’<br/>
Reading over the pages of a book on the desk, Jamie answered ‘I didn’t find the necklace, but I did find Filch’s student records from the day the necklace went missing. There might be something in here about the necklace.’<br/>
‘It’s worth a shot,’ admitted the Ravenclaw.<br/>
Jamie pointed at a line in the notebook. ‘It looks like Filch did find your necklace, Talbott! He confiscated it on the grounds that it seemed “suspicious”. The unusual feather made him think it might be related to the black quills I found that contained messages from R.’<br/>
Talbott was hopeful again. ‘Do the records say where he put it?’<br/>
Jamie read the necklace’s fate, gulping. ‘Apparently Mrs Norris really loved your necklace. She kept trying to chew and swat at it, so he gave it to her.’<br/>
‘He’s using my mum’s necklace as a cat toy?’<br/>
‘I’m sorry, Talbott…’<br/>
‘It’s alright. At least I know that if I find Mrs Norris, I’ll probably find my necklace. I never thought I’d be glad that Filch takes detailed notes on students…’<br/>
The door burst open, and Filch stepped inside with a twisted expression. ‘If you little snots obeyed the rules, my reports would be nothin’ to worry about.’<br/>
Jamie jumped back. ‘Filch!’<br/>
‘That’s Mr Filch to you. Why are you trespassing in my office and reading my personal files?’<br/>
Jamie raised his hands in surrender, deciding that honesty would be the best solution. ‘Talbott lost his necklace. We thought you might’ve found it and brought it back to your office. We only snuck in to get it back.’<br/>
‘Do I look like a fool?’ Filch asked, not buying it. ‘That’s exactly the kind of story troublemakers like you would make up to weasel your way out of trouble. The two of you are coming with me. We’re going to have a talk with Professor Dumbledore.’<br/>
‘Wait, Mr Filch, don’t blame Jamie. I snuck into your office to play a trick on you. Jamie just came to talk me out of it.’<br/>
‘Talbott, what…?’ Jamie tried to whisper, but was cut off by Talbott.<br/>
‘You can punish me, but Jamie didn’t do anything wrong. He was just trying to help me, but I was too daft to let her. I realise that now.’<br/>
‘Talbott, are you sure?’ Jamie whispered into his ear, but was again interrupted. This time by Filch.<br/>
‘Alright, alright, quit your whimpering. You can go, Smith, but I’ve got my eye on you.’<br/>
‘It’s alright, Jamie. I’ll deal with this, then meet up with you later. We have a cat to find.’</p><p>Hours later, in the dark of night, Jamie snuck out to the Training Grounds to meet with Talbott, who had just had his punishment. ‘Talbott! I’m glad to see you made it out of Filch’s clutches in one piece.’<br/>
‘It certainly wasn’t for a lack of trying on Filch’s part. He kept trying to convince Professor Dumbledore to let him use his shackles.’<br/>
Jamie burst into laughter. ‘That sounds like him.’<br/>
‘Thankfully, I was able to explain the situation to Professor Dumbledore, and he let me off easy.’<br/>
‘You didn’t have to cover for me back in Filch’s office like that, Talbott. It was my idea to sneak in, after all. Now he’s going to keep a closer eye on you and pry into your business. It’ll be even harder to keep your secret safe…’<br/>
Talbott smiled. ‘You’re right, I didn’t have to. But I wanted to. You deserved it after everything you did to help me. You really are my…’ Realising what he was about to say, he went silent, and put on a serious look. ‘Nevermind, there’s time for that later. For now, let’s focus on getting my necklace back. Let’s look around and see if we can find Mrs Norris. There’s a chance she still has my necklace.’<br/>
‘No need to look around. Look! There’s Mrs Norris!’ Jamie pointed at the cat that was approaching the rule-breakers, hissing at them.<br/>
‘And she has my necklace!’ Talbott noted, pointing at her mouth. He sat in front of the cat, who slashed at his with her claw.<br/>
‘It doesn’t look like she’s going to part with it so easily,’ thought Jamie aloud.<br/>
‘I’d suggest we use <em>Immobulus</em> on her, but if that’s how angry Filch gets for sneaking into his office… I’d hate to see his reaction when he finds his cat’s been immobilised. How are we going to get my necklace without becoming a scratching post?’<br/>
‘I have an idea…’ Jamie took out his wand, and pointed it at the necklace. ‘<em>Wingardium Leviosa.</em>’ The white feather levitated from the ground, but Mrs Norris grabbed it between her paws, keeping the necklace from flying away. ‘Looks like it didn’t work…’<br/>
‘What now? Mrs Norris isn’t going to just sit around while we try a bunch of ideas.’<br/>
‘Using our Animagus forms helped us find the necklace, maybe it can help us get it back too,’ Jamie suggested.<br/>
‘Alright. But I’m leaving the honour of distracting Mrs Norris to you. I’m not  a fan of cats,’ Talbott said, stepping back.<br/>
‘That’s okay, I’m a cat Animagus, I don’t think I’ll scare her. You grab the necklace while I distract her.’ Jamie changed forms into a black and white cat, and approached the other cat. Mrs Norris looked at the newcomer with curiosity, and began following him in circles playfully. </p><p>While Jamie and Mrs Norris played, conveniently away from the necklace, Talbott grabbed it, and raised it victorious. ‘I got my necklace!’<br/>
Jamie turned back into human form, and Mrs Norris was shocked at seeing the cat she’d played with so close transform. Running back to the castle, the cat disappeared, probably off to find its master. ‘Thankfully Mrs Norris didn’t get too friendly with me,’ joked Jamie.<br/>
‘Thanks, Jamie. I don’t think I could’ve gotten my necklace back without you.’<br/>
‘Of course, Talbott. I’m happy I could help!’<br/>
‘I need some time alone now, but let’s meet later. I think I’m finally ready to talk…’</p><p>It was 3 a.m. when Jamie snuck into the courtyard to meet Talbott. The loss of sleep was more than worth it if it meant Talbott would open up again. Seeing the Ravenclaw on his eagle form sitting on a tree branch, Jamie approached him in his cat form, and transformed. ‘Talbott! Was your necklace alright? I hope Mrs Norris didn’t damage it too badly.’<br/>
The bird leapt on to the ground, transforming. ‘Nothing <em>Reparo</em> couldn’t fix. Honestly I was so happy just to have it back that I didn’t really care. Thanks again for everything you did to help me get my necklace back. I never thought I’d be so happy to have someone refuse to mind their own business.’<br/>
‘Anytime. So what did you want to talk about?’<br/>
‘You were wondering why I’ve been missing class and being extra distant recently. I think I might be ready to tell you, but I still feel a bit unsure…’<br/>
‘That’s okay, Talbott. We don’t have to talk about something serious right away,’ Jamie said, before suggesting ‘Let’s chat and hang out a bit first. It might make you feel comfortable opening up.’</p><p>Walking towards the arched walkway, they talked throughout the night about anything that came to mind. After a few moments of comfortable silence, when neither knew what to talk about, Talbott admitted ‘You’re right, Jamie. Chatting and joking around did help me feel better. So much so that I think I’m finally ready to explain things…’<br/>
‘You don’t have to if you don’t want to, Talbott. Especially if it makes you uncomfortable…’ Jamie assured him.<br/>
Talbott shook his head. ‘No, it’s okay, I want to. I trust you. Remember how I told you my parents were killed by Death Eaters? Well… It’s the anniversary of their death.’<br/>
‘That would explain why Professor McGonagall thought you seemed down even before you lost the necklace…’ Jamie mused. ‘I’m sorry, Talbott. It must be a rough time for you…’<br/>
Talbott took out the repaired necklace, looking at it. ‘When I realised I’d also lost my necklace… I just couldn’t cope. It felt like I was losing my parents all over again.’<br/>
‘I understand. But why not tell someone? Talking about it might’ve made you feel better.’<br/>
‘I don’t know. I guess I was afraid one day it’d be used against me. I’ve seen what can happen when you’re not careful. It seemed safer to just keep things to myself.’<br/>
‘I would never betray your trust like that, Talbott.’<br/>
‘Thanks, Jamie. I understand that now,’ Talbott said with a smile.<br/>
‘About time, too.’<br/>
‘Hey, if I made it too easy for you, it wouldn’t be any fun.’<br/>
‘So does this mean you’re done flying solo?’<br/>
‘Don’t get me wrong, I’d still rather be alone than around people. But with you, I feel different. When I thought about all the time we spent together, I realised something. I realised that I was enjoying things more with you than I would’ve alone. That I didn’t want to run off and be myself again at the first possible moment. I haven’t felt that way about anyone since my parents.’<br/>
Jamie gave him a sly smile. ‘Does this mean what I think it does…?’<br/>
Talbott openly laughed. ‘Yes, I can’t talk my way out of admitting it any longer… You’re my friend, Jamie, and I’m happy to finally have someone I can rely on and trust.’<br/>
‘It means a lot to me to hear that, Talbott. Thanks.’ Rubbing his wrist, Jamie joked ‘So does this mean you’re ready to get matching friendship bracelets?’<br/>
‘Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. But seriously, Jamie, thank you… for everything. I’ll see you later… friend.’</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Closing the term</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Seven Hogwarts students sat around a round table in the warm comfort of the Three Broomsticks, on the last Hogsmeade trip of the term, when their eight member entered the busy pub. Seeing their friend approach, Tonks, Tulip, Ben, Rowan, Penny, Barnaby and Bill waved at him. ‘Jamie! You made it!’ Rowan greeted.<br/>
‘All hail the conquering Curse-Breaker!’ Tulip raised her glass.<br/>
Blushing, Jamie thanked his friends. ‘I never could’ve done it without all of you. Thank you.’<br/>
Bill clapped his hands together. ‘Let’s enjoy it while we can. They say Snape is on the warpath.’<br/>
‘Yeah, Merula told him about Madam Pince, the Restricted Section, and the Cursed Vault. She forgot to mention how I defeated both her and Ismelda,’ Barnaby informed with a smile.<br/>
‘I heard there’s no proof, and Madam Pince is too proud to admit what happened. Even I’m not worried,’ Ben chimed in.<br/>
‘Well, I don’t want to say we owe it all to my brilliant plan, but…’ Tulip said in a mock tone.<br/>
‘But I get the feeling you’ll say it anyways…’ Jamie concluded.<br/>
Tonks asked ‘What did you find in the vault? Is it a clue to the next one?’<br/>
Jamie nodded taking out the map and handing it to Tonks. ‘I found a hand-drawn map of the Forbidden Forest, and an arrow that’s missing the arrow head.’<br/>
‘I’d wager all my Gobstones that the next Cursed Vault is in the Forbidden Forest,’ Rowan commented. ‘I know what I’ll be reading about all summer.’<br/>
‘Why is there a letter “R” in the corner of the map?’ Tonks asked, pointing at the letter in the piece of parchment.<br/>
‘I’ve been wondering the same thing…’ mused Jamie. The group went silent, all eyes looking at Ben, alarming the Gryffindor.<br/>
‘Why is everyone looking at me?!’<br/>
‘Last year, we found letters addressed to you that were signed R,’ Rowan explained.<br/>
‘And I told you I don’t remember anything after being frozen in the cursed ice.’<br/>
‘But you must remember something…’ Rowan pressed.<br/>
Ben started to get spooked from the accusations. Looking at Jamie with sad eyes, he asked ‘You believe me, don’t you, Jamie?’<br/>
Jamie frowned, thinking about it. Carefully, he began wording his thoughts. ‘R went to great lengths to send you secret messages, Ben. And no one else lost their memory after getting frozen by the cursed ice. If you know something, you have to tell us.’<br/>
Ben looked down, ashamed. ‘I’m… sorry. I don’t know anything about this mysterious R.’<br/>
‘I hope you aren’t lying to protect us. We can’t help each other unless we know what’s going on,’ Rowan said.<br/>
Ben looked at everyone in the eye, and with a serious tone insisted ‘I’m not lying to protect you. I promise.’<br/>
After about a minute of awkward silence, Bill broke it with a wave of his hand. ‘Let’s worry about mysterious maps and unexplained memory loss another day. We’re here to celebrate Jamie’s triumph over the Cursed Vault!’</p><p>Spending the evening in the pub, the group of friends chatted and celebrated their victory. A huge figure called out to Jamie, who stood up and turned around to say hello to Hagrid. ‘Havin’ a few Butterbeers before the summer, eh?’ Hagrid said.<br/>
‘That’s right, Hagrid. Pull up a chair!’ offered Jamie.<br/>
‘Nah, thanks. I’m on my way back ter the castle, but I wanted teh let yeh know that there’s a lot fewer Boggarts than before. Miracle, I say.’<br/>
Professor Dumbledore appeared from behind the groundskeeper, with a smile. ‘Professor McGonagall instructed you to keep that information to yourself, Rubeus,’ he reminded Hagrid in a stern tone.<br/>
‘P-Professor Dumbledore, sir! I’m sorry, sir. I shouldn’ta said that.’<br/>
Jamie looked at Dumbledore with an amused look, trying to remain calm and not say anything incriminatory. ‘Rumour is, you’ve been gone practically the entire year, Professor. Did you just get back?’<br/>
Dumbledore looked at him with a stern gaze. ‘I did. I found who I was looking for. Here and there.’<br/>
‘I’m not sure I understand…’<br/>
‘You’re not alone. We will discuss it further in my office…’</p><p>Jamie entered the now-familiar office, and walked up to Dumbledore’s desk. The headmaster’s blue eyes looked at him over his half-moon glasses. ‘This has become something of a tradition, James… Our annual opportunity to discuss your unprecedented heroics, and egregious misbehaviour. I understand that a substantial amount of mayhem transpired in my absence. Dragons in the Common Rooms, werewolves in the greenhouses… Voldemort himself lurking in every cupboard…’ He gave out a chuckle. ‘Apparently, even I made more than one appearance in Boggart form…’<br/>
‘Is it true that all of the Boggarts are gone?’ Jamie asked.<br/>
‘Boggarts can never truly be banished because they are a form of human emotion. Fortunately, they can be of some use… Defense Against the Dark Arts classes can practice <em>Riddikulus</em> on those Boggarts for years to come.’ Dumbledore turned back to a more serious tone. ‘I’m sure a few Boggarts were nothing compared to what you faced in the Cursed Vault. Tell me everything.’</p><p>Jamie explained everything that had transpired within the Vault and his plans leading to entering it, while Dumbledore paid attention in silence. When he was done, Dumbledore commented ‘From what you’ve told me, it sounds as though someone else tampered with the Cursed Vault, releasing the Boggarts.’<br/>
‘That’s my understanding, yes. But you would know better than me.’<br/>
‘There is someone who would know better than us both. Do you know where I’ve been this year, James?’<br/>
‘No.’<br/>
‘Seeking the world’s finest Curse-Breaker. One who has intimate experience with the Cursed Vaults. She was an exceptional pupil of mine, back when my beard was a little shorter. At present, she is exploring recently discovered ruins under the Brazilian wizarding school Castelobruxo. When next year begins, she will be here at Hogwarts. I will be most interested to hear her opinion of the vaults. And of you.’ Before Jamie could say anything, Dumbledore raised a hand, asking for silence. The professor continued. ‘You have once again directly disobeyed me, yet you have once again broken a curse that threatened us all. I am running out of excuses for you, James. Break one more rule, and I will not be able to insulate you from serious punishment.’<br/>
Jamie looked down, embarrassed. ‘I understand, Professor. I’m sorry,’ he lied.<br/>
‘Actions are far better than apologies. Take Fawkes, for instance. From time to time, the phoenix is reborn—fresh and rejuvenated. You have that power too. Take the summer, and when you return to Hogwarts, start fresh.’<br/>
‘Thank you, Professor Dumbledore. I’ll do my best.’<br/>
‘But before you take the summer, take one hundred points for Slytherin.’</p><p>‘What are you reading, Rowan?’ Jamie asked his bespectacled friend, who was on a couch in the Slytherin Common Room with his nose deep in a book. It wasn't a strange sight, even though they had finished their exams days before without much issue.<br/>
‘<em>Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4</em>. I’m getting a head start for next year. You won’t have it so easy next year against me in Charms Class!’<br/>
‘Ohh, a challenge. I love a good challenge! Just don’t tell Merula, or she might stop duelling me.’<br/>
‘Duly noted,’ Rowan said, returning to his lecture. Jamie got comfortable on a chair next to the couch, and saw Barnaby strolling over towards them, waving. He waved back, greeting the tall boy. ‘What’s up, Barnaby?’<br/>
‘Nothing much, but I heard the word “duelling” and wondered if anyone was duelling. I’d love a good duel!’ Barnaby said happily, sitting on the ground near them.<br/>
‘No duels here. And I’d rather not loose House Points between today and tomorrow. We’re on the lead!’ Jamie commented.<br/>
‘On the lead for what?’ Barnaby asked, confused.<br/>
‘The House Cup…?’ Jamie reminded him.<br/>
‘Oh, that! I heard Flitwick was a champion dueller. Do you think he’d give us House Points if we managed to beat him in a duel?’<br/>
‘I’m not too sure… I don’t think he’d even agree to a duel.’<br/>
‘What about Dumbledore? I’m sure he’d agree if we gave him a box of Bertie Bott’s Every Flovour Bean. He loves that!’ Before Jamie could reply to Barnaby’s suggestion, Rowan spoke up.<br/>
‘That reminds me! I’ve got something for you, Jamie!’ Rowan beamed up, closed his book, and took out a yellow bow with a red bow on it from his bag. Handing it to Jamie, he seemed eager to see his reaction.<br/>
‘A gift? Why? It’s not my birthday, is it? I always forget…’ Jamie joked.<br/>
‘It’s something I’ve been meaning to give you for a while, I even asked my little brother to send it to me a week ago!’<br/>
‘It’s not wool to organise my research, is it?’ Jamie asked, undoing the bow.<br/>
‘Better!’ Rowan almost jumped in excitement as Jamie opened the box, revealing a pair of glasses, identical to Rowan’s. ‘They’re the spares I had at home, but now with <em>Reparo</em> I don’t really need spares! So I thought I should give them to someone special. And who better than my best friend?’<br/>
Taking the glasses out of the box with a smile, Jamie looked at them close up. ‘They really are the same as yours, aren’t they? I love them. Though I’m sure they won’t suit me as well as they do you.’<br/>
‘Why don’t you try them and see? You might be wrong on that!’<br/>
Chuckling, Jamie put them on, and looked at his reflection on the underwater windows. Oddly enough, he could see just fine with the glasses on, something rather weird considering he never needed glasses. ‘Hold on, how can I see just fine? Shouldn’t I see blurry?’<br/>
‘I changed the crystals with plain ones! Now if you want to use glasses without needing them, you have a pair!’<br/>
‘Oh, that’s very thoughtful of you. How do I look?’<br/>
‘Clever! They suit you fine,’ Rowan said.<br/>
Barnaby nodded. ‘You look smart, like a person who reads books!’<br/>
‘Thanks, mates. They’re quite nice, I have to say. I think I’m saving them for special occasions,’ Jamie said, taking them off and putting them back in their box. ‘Speaking of which, what are you going to do during summer?’</p><p>Green and silver banners hung from the walls of the Great Hall, which was filled with the many students who were gathered to celebrate the End of Term Feast. The golden plates and goblets were still empty, and Dumbledore stood up and walked up to the podium. The students went silent, waiting to hear what their Headmaster was going to say. The bearded man opened his arms wide, with a broad smile. ‘It’s the end of another year at Hogwarts! I think we’ve all learned as much about ourselves this year, as we have about witchcraft and wizardry. But enough of the past. Let’s talk about the present. More specifically, this year’s winner of the House Cup…’ He motioned towards each table as he called them out. ‘In fourth place, Hufflepuff, with 350 points.’ A polite clap was heard from the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables. ‘In third place, Ravenclaw, with 356. In second place…’ A slightly more noisy clap came from the other tables. ‘Gryffindor has 369...’ Again a polite clap, this time mixed with a few sneers from a few Slytherins. ‘And with 428 points, Slytherin!’ </p><p>The Slytherin Table burst into cries of joy, with Felix Rosier personally shaking the hand of Jamie and Rowan, who had amassed a large amount of points together in their classes. This was the last year in Hogwarts for the Prefect, and he had gone out winning the House Cup for the last two years in a row. Dumbledore raised his hand to calm the students down, and continued with his speech. ‘Congratulations, Slytherin! This year’s winners of the House Cup! Enjoy this delicious feast, and have a wonderful summer!’</p><p>‘We won the House Cup, Jamie!’ Rowan shook his friends shoulder enthusiastically. Jamie smiled and nodded, now sporting glasses identical to Rowan’s. He saw Merula celebrating with Ismelda, who was aggressively sneering at the Gryffindor Table. Barnaby was in front of Rowan, eating quite eagerly a cake.</p>
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